If You Give a Cloud a Rikku
by AntiMusicMan
Summary: He was flung away from everything he knew, but love soon blossomed. But when old lovers return, will their love stand the test? Rated T for swearing, violence, and romance. Rikku x Cloud. Blend of FF7, FF8, FFX2, KH, and KH2
1. The Beginning

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Final Fantasy characters in my fic! Squaresoft made all of these wonderful characters! Enjoy!

**Chapter 1: Where It Always Starts**

_I shouldn't be sad... today is supposed to be a happy one. If I'm supposed to be so joyous, why do I feeling so crummy...? I'll try to be happy for them... I'll try..._

She sat there, wondering and meditating on her thoughts. It was the season of autumn. The autumnal equinox had passed and food was being harvested. It was a time of great joy. The leaves- amber, crimson, burgundy, golden, maroon, and fiery- all were slowly, ever so snail-like, leaving their tree, their home. The tress had almost all of their leaves still, and not even the mighty winds could blow them. The trees were almost on fire. She should've been happy. It was just the right time, but it seemed she was in the wrong place. She had finished her pondering and started to get up. As she did, she heard footsteps crunch on dry grass and twigs. "Are you alright? You left so suddenly I couldn't find you at first." His voice was worried and concerned. _Why? Why did he have to care so much? Why couldn't he just leave me alone?_ She didn't know it then, but his persistence and his concern made her feel good inside, it made her feel loved- and that is invaluable to anyone. "Yah... I'm ok. I just needed to have some alone time for a bit. I'm done now though... we can go back to the party."

They walked together, side by side. He put his arm around her shoulder, and he hugged, cradled, her as they walked. She felt good, he felt important. They were meant for each other, but destiny would test that. "Do we have to go? To the party, I mean. Can't we just go into the woods, or go to a restaurant?" She wanted to be alone, even if it was with someone- not anyone, but him. "I don't mind, but don't you think that they'll mind if we show?" He wanted her to happy, but he wanted his other friends to be happy too. "I guess. You know, there are so many guests, do you think that they'll even notice?" ...

Flashback:

It had started a while back, when the worlds began to collide, connect, and disappear. They had met each other, fallen in love, and fled to another world, so they wouldn't fade away as well. Their world started to diminish, and so they sent out- together- to stop this from happening to other worlds. They ended up in Traverse Town, with nothing but a few, minor detailed reports about the Heartless, the cause of their destruction and despair, and how to defeat them- with the 'Keyblade'. They soon started a search for the wielder of the Keyblade and found him, he was a boy- only fourteen- and Leon could barely believe that he was their hope in these dark times. But, he proved Leon wrong, and defeated the Heartless. Throughout his journey, they had been close, Leon and Yuffie. They had come from different worlds, but they felt the need for each other. As the worlds were pieced together and restored, they returned to Hallow Bastion and announced their news- they were getting married. And that's what was happening. Yuffie and Leon had just gotten married, and they were throwing a party, a reception, to celebrate.

"It's not that I don't like Yuffie or Leon, its just, well, I feel odd around them. Like I don't belong at their party. I just want to be alone, with you." She looked at him. She loved how he smiled, and how he actually listened to what she said. His eyes, his beautiful blue, sapphire eyes, she would lose herself in them, and only his words could bring her back. "I don't mind," he replied, "but where do you want to go, then?" His words echoed in her head, _"where do you want to go?" How can I pick? Anywhere I go, as long as I'm with you, will make me feel better. But a quiet, secluded area, where we would be alone, that would be a perfect spot._ "What if we go to the top of the hill, away from these houses? To be alone, separated, from them. So, it'd be just the two of us. How does that sound?"

She wanted a yes. But anything from him would be fine, as long as they were together...

"It sounds wonderful, romantic. Do you want to walk or drive?" She loved that about him. Whenever they did something, he gave her the control, and that made her feel even better inside. She was the leader; she got to pick what to do... that was a change from before.

"I choose the walk. It'll be fun, and heck, we might even lose some pounds from the exercise!" She wanted him to laugh, to see his white teeth again. She wanted the moment to lighten up a bit; it was getting almost too romantic, and too fast. They continued, more of started, their walk to the top of the hill. The whole city seemed small, possibly handheld, from the view at the top. With the stars and the moon shining brightly, not affected by the city lights below, the whole grassy field seemed illuminated. It was perfect, a perfect time to be alone, alone with the one you loved. They cuddled as they walked up the hill, each of their arms hugging the other. He shared his jacket with her, and they talked, talked of their dreams of the past, and for the future. They talked about each other, and the magnificence of the other; the beauty and grace of Rikku; the strength and charm of Cloud.

As they walked, they stopped in the middle of the field and kissed. They kissed like they never had before. They stood there, waiting, not knowing what to do next... _His kiss, it was so loving and passionate... I wish we were always this close, and that we always will be. Can we... can we ever kiss like that again?_ "Cloud... Cloud, did you... did you enjoy that as much as I did?" She lingered onto each word, emphasizing each syllable, and drawing special attention to _Cloud_ and _enjoy_. "Rikku, I loved it. I don't whether it was the moon, the stars, or just your radiance that made that experience, that kiss, all that it was. But I do know... we've done that kiss, and I except to see it again." He winked and smirked at her. They both let out a little laugh. They had shared a very intimate moment, and they wanted to cherish it. His blue eyes poured into her green ones. Nothing was ever more romantic than this for them. Nothing.

_What do we do now?_ They just sat there, looking at the stars, the moon, and each other. They cuddled together and just seeped in the beauty of the night. They had no idea what time it was, but they didn't care. They lay there, hugging each other and lightly kissing each other every so often. They would gaze into the other's eyes, and slowly their lips would move closer, closer together until they touched. "Are you feeling better?" His question made her confused for a bit, but then she remembered. This 'walk' had taken her whole mind away from everything else. "Yah, I feel better. Do you want to see if we can still make Leon and Yuffie's wedding reception?" She wanted to go. She had the whole time, but she didn't want to admit that, not after what she had done with Cloud. "No problem, but, I wonder if it's still going on?"

They decided to walk back. Rikku was cold and Cloud gave her his coat. They snuggled together as they walked back. As they neared the party building, they saw lights still on, heard music playing, and people's voices. "Guess they did decide to keep the party going on for awhile." But Rikku didn't hear him, she was thinking about how they had met and fallen in love...

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It happened as it happened for Leon and Yuffie. We were from two different worlds. I was from Spira; he was from Midgar. It was sad, saying my good-byes to Yunie and Paine, tears flew everywhere. I convinced brother to drop Gippal and me off on the Bikanel Island, he gladly accepted to getting rid of Gippal.

The sun was scorching and the sand burned my toes through my shoes. _I'm so glad that I'm Al Bhed, or else this would be almost killing me._ We searched for the latest Al Bhed digging site, hoping to convince them to use the dug up parts to start rebuilding Home, not machina to fight with. "Gippal, you do know where we're going, right? I mean, the campsite hasn't moved, right?" _One time getting lost in the desert was enough!_ The sun was almost unbearable, so I was glad that I had packed extra water. We walked, and walked, and walked some more. We went north, south, east, and west. We were lost, and I was so mad at Gippal, but it's hard to stay mad at someone you love.

It was almost evening, and the sand dunes looked so romantic as it was hued orange and pink. Unfortunately, we hadn't found any other Al Bheds and so we had to set up our own tent. I decided to switch into something warmer since the desert gets freezing at night. I changed into my White Mage dress sphere, since my whole body is covered in a robe and the cloth is real comfy, and set my staff aside. We took some extra cloth we had brought, two stakes, and set up a tent. _Wow... it was really bad looking. I think a seven year old could do better_. But I didn't insult Gippal. The 'tent' would have to do. We took our blanket and stretched it as far as we could, so we weren't too close to eachother. We wanted to be close, but not almost on top of the other. We snuggled for a bit, and then I fell asleep.

I woke up and Gippal wasn't in bed, but I saw that he had taken the liberty of changing me back into my Thief dress sphere. I giggled. I walked up to him and hugged him. Then we kissed. Afterward, he showed me a tiny statuette he had found, one of a blue penguin that looked French. We stared at it, wondering where it had come from. "Is it possible that this was here before the great Machina War or possibly earlier? Because, it doesn't look like anything modern." He agreed with me and nodded. We spent the rest of the day looking for more Al Bhed, but without success. We had fun though, rolling down sand dunes, finding some small trinkets, battling a few fiends, and of course, having some romance.

As night fell and we headed to our makeshift home, I took the statue with me, just to look at it closer. As I picked it up, it started to glow a light blue, and it emitted a faint glow, similar to a torch or flashlight. Gippal came over and held the idol, and fingered it, examining it more closely. Its glow started to grow, and soon the hue had engulfed all of Gippal. He looked so afraid, yet calm, as the light surrounded him. He was so handsome. As I tried to get to him- to help him- he disappeared as the light shot out and blinded me. When I could see, Gippal wasn't there anymore, just the penguin idol and a peculiar man with blonde hair and blue eyes.

**End of Chapter**

Please Review! This is my romance fic. Tell me how I did!

Thank you, -AntiMusicMan


	2. II: A Blast of the Past

Disclaimer: I do not own Cloud, Rikku, Leon, or Yuffie. I do not own Squaresoft or Final Fantasy. (But wouldn't it be cool if any of us did?)

**Chapter 2: A Blast of the Past**

In Gippal's place stood a young adult man. He had spiked hair, golden blonde in color, blue eyes, dark colored clothes, and a massive sword that looked bigger than him. I started in disbelief. _How could Gippal leave me alone with... with this strange man? Where was he, anyways?_ I was mad at Gippal for just leaving me, but something about the stranger attracted me. It might have been curiosity, or maybe his odd sword. Perhaps, he charm and handsomeness, or maybe the wounds that seemed all over him. Blood was dripping from his blade, and his arms and legs were full of nasty cuts and bruises. He seemed extremely fatigued, and he nearly fell over while standing there.

I carried him to a bed- Gippal's- and tended to his wounds. It wouldn't have been very nice if I had left him there to almost die. As I carried him, and washed his marks of battle, I noticed his physique- muscular and very firm, yet soft in a way to show incomplete full development of his muscles. His shoulders, arms, legs, stomach, and hands all seemed so strong, and yet delicate. He was a perfect man, beautiful blonde hair and blue eyes. He wasn't too old, or too young. He obviously was strong- he had to be if he carried a huge sword like that- and yet, youthfulness showed through. He was old enough to be able to care, protect, and love a girl right, but he wasn't old enough to be boring. _And... he's right about my age. _

I bandaged his wounds, and placed the blanket over him. I knew how cold the desert could get at night- freezing. I blew out the lamp by his bedside and left him to recover. I really didn't feel right around him, like a sense of guilt had crept over me. I thought about Gippal, is he all right? Is he hurt? Is he gone forever? The 'visitor' made me feel warm inside, a giggly kind, the one that girls' get when they see an attractive guy. I didn't want to call it cheating, it wasn't, and besides, I haven't down anything yet. All I did was help him to get better. So what if I saw him without a shirt on- have I ever seen Gippal without a shirt? - it still wasn't cheating! I'm just helping him out... his handsome body is just an added bonus.

I left the tent and started to set up a makeshift sleeping bag, since I wasn't going to sleep in the same place as a stranger. I once again changed into my White Mage outfit, rolled myself up in my blanket and fell asleep. When I woke up, it was early in the morning, but I could already feel the heat rising off the sand. I changed into my Alchemist dress sphere; it wasn't too revealing, it wasn't too hot, and I could still defend myself with the giant gun. Besides, I looked more Al Bhed, too. After I had changed and rolled up my sleeping bag, I went to check in on the patient. He was up and looked like he was very bored and confused. _I wonder if he can talk English... or maybe he knows Al Bhed. What if he doesn't understand me at all? O... I wish he knows one of our languages._ "Can you understand me?" I figured English would be more appropriate language to use, since most people use that instead of Al Bhed. I made sure to speak slowly and loudly.

"Yes, I can understand you. And no, you don't have to talk so slowly. Where are we? And, who are you?" He stared at me, waiting for an answer. I just looked back- dumbfounded- and glad that he could talk to me. "O... well it's a good thing we can communicate. We're in the Bikanel Desert, on the Bikanel Island, the homeland of Al Bheds." I_ wonder if he knows what an Al Bhed is...or where the Bikanel Island is. He doesn't look like someone from Spira._ "Bikanel Island... Al Bhed..." he was utterly confused, "Can you tell me some places that make sense?" _I was right; he wasn't from Spira._ It was mid morning and we were getting hungry, so I offered to make us breakfast. He was glad, since he probably couldn't cook. I kept wondering who he was, where he was from, why he was here, and where Gippal was. It seemed to me that he didn't know himself.

"Now, where exactly is this 'Bikanel Island' located? I mean, is it by Midgar, or Niblehiem, or what? And, how do you keep changing your outfit like that?" Now, it was my turn to be confused. "Midgar... Niblehiem... what in all of Spira are you talking about?" He seemed surprised that I would yell at him. He thought for a minute, and finally asked, "Alright, forget about the cities. Where is your closest Shinra building or Mako reactor?" I just stood there. He clearly wasn't from Spira, and so naming these places wouldn't help. I thought about what to say, and he went to finish his breakfast.

We didn't talk for a while, he went into the tent, gathered his things up, and was going to leave to find someone who could help him. "I wouldn't do that! The desert is a dangerous thing!" He didn't seem to care, or maybe he couldn't hear my shouting. He just kept walking away and the sand blew his hair- it was then I realized my feelings for him. I liked, perhaps loved, him. "WAIT! WAIT!!" I ran after him; luckily he heard me this time and stopped. I ran up to him, breathed heavily for a while, and then got up. "Since you don't know your way around here, and I do, I've decided to be your guide." I wouldn't take 'no' for an answer, and gladly, he accepted. And so, our journey started.

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"Rikku? Rikku, are you listening?"

"Huh?" _Of course I wasn't listening! I was thinking about how I met you... it makes me feel happy._ "O, sorry. I was remembering when we first met."

The two lovers had arrived at the party. They were outside in front of the doors. It was fall, and the night was chilly. Rikku stood with Cloud and they hugged. She embraced him in an 'I'll never see you ever again' fashion. They kissed and started to enter. Cloud opened the door for Rikku and they were welcomed by warmth from the building. Although it was making her hot, Rikku kept the jacket on, so Cloud would feel better. As they walked down the hallway to the party room, they could hear singing, laughter, and music. "Cloud, let's not go in just yet..." she had a faint tone of sorrow or regret in her voice, "can't we just wait outside the room, for a couple of minutes?" She wanted to spend all the time with her companion, for she never knew if he might disappear as suddenly as he had appeared. He accepted, for he didn't mind spending time with his loved one, and he sat down right next to her. As he sat down, he looked at her until she noticed and then smiled. Rikku smiled back and felt warm inside. They put their arms around each other and cuddled. They sat there, hugged, cuddled, and kissed each other for a few minutes. After their lips parted from their last kiss, Cloud began to get up and said, "Ready to go? I'm sure they'll be glad to see us." Rikku nodded and smiled. She got up and they walked in together.

Lights immediately flashed in their eyes, bright lights shown from all over. They could see guests eating, talking, singing, and dancing. They spotted Leon and Yuffie dancing closely together and headed over there. As they approached them, the song had ended and Cloud and Rikku didn't feel so bad to stop them dancing. Leon and Yuffie were still dancing, swaying back and forth. Leon was in a slick jet-black tuxedo with a light purple flower in his outside pocket. Yuffie was in an almost pure white dress with a hint of purple. Her gown came all the way to her feet, and it over exaggerated her movements. She had moved back her veil and had her hair just flowing down.

_What a beautiful couple. I wonder if Cloud and me will ever get married?_ Rikku watched them and wished for thought to come true. Yuffie noticed Rikku and Cloud standing there and whispered to Leon. He turned his head, let go of Yuffie, and went over to greet his friends. "Cloud! Rikku! Glad you could come. Have you been here the whole time? I've been kinda busy and haven't really noticed a lot." He laughed a little and smirked. He put his hand to scratch the back of his hair as he said _haven't really noticed_. Yuffie came over and welcomed them to their party. She said something to Rikku and she giggled. "Cloud, Leon, do you mind if we go to talk for a bit? We'll be as quick as we can!" The two men nodded and the girlfriends walked over to talk.

"So, Cloud, how's it going with Rikku?" Leon wasn't the best at starting conversation, neither was Cloud. The women usually did that; they're good at small talk. Cloud shrugged and replied, "Good as ever. I think we might be getting more serious." Cloud paused, thought, and then added, "Leon, did Yuffie ever treat you like she'd never see you again? Because, Rikku's doing that, and I'm kinda confused."

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"Really? You're going to ask him?" Yuffie was excited. The two women had been talking for some time now and they noticed that Leon and Cloud were talking too. Yuffie almost burst out of excitement. "So, you really are?" Yuffie wanted to make sure she heard Rikku right. Rikku just stood there, almost annoyed. "Of course I'm going to! How many times do I have to tell you?" Rikku glared at Yuffie. Stifled between laughs, Yuffie managed to say, "One more time..." Rikku loosened up and laughed along as well.

Yuffie settled down and went over to be with Leon; she had been gone for about an hour or so. As she walked towards him, she heard them talking about... Rikku? "... kinda odd, but, not entirely bad." they stopped talking as they saw Yuffie. Leon excused himself, went over, and hugged his new bride. They kissed, and started dancing right where they left off. Cloud felt a little disappointed because Leon and he were having a great conversation. They hadn't seen eachother in a while, and they had a lot of catching up to do. But, Cloud quickly felt better as Rikku came over and grabbed him, and started dancing. Cloud was surprised at first, but soon he started to dance, too. He leaned in closely to Rikku, slowly and careful so Rikku wouldn't notice. He looked at Rikku's eyes and was lost in the sphere of emerald green. Rikku looked up, and was lost in the sea of blue in Cloud's eyes. They poured into eachother until finally they both leaned even closer in. Their lips slightly quivered, but they never lost sight of eachother's eyes. Their lips met, touched, and caressed the other set of lips. Rikku and Cloud were overfilled with a new sense of love and intimacy. They continued to kiss until the music stopped and so they stopped dancing as well. They gradually took their lips apart, and unhurriedly they let go of one another.

They stood, embracing, and looked around them. Beautiful streamers and balloons decorated the walls. The wedding cake was off to the side, over halfway eaten. A band played soft, romantic music as couples gathered together to dance. Food, abundant and hearty, filled a whole wall. The lights were tinted blue, and it gave the room a feel of romance. Cloud and Rikku just stood there hugging, and said but a few words.

"I love you"

**End of Chapter**

Please Review, thanks! -AntiMusicMan


	3. III: Rememories

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy! Happy already!?

**Chapter 3: Rememories**

He looked at her; he could sense her beauty. He couldn't recall how or why he met her, but he was most grateful that he had. He loved his new friend, his companion, and his girlfriend. He was in a strange world, and she was his link to it all. She loved him dearly, and he loved her immensely. Soon, he started to recall how they had met...

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It was morning. Nothing moved. The sun had lit up the sky, and the ground quickly was absorbing the heat. Few plants could be found, barely any animal life, and rocks were all too common. He was in a foreign place, and best of all, a desert. He stumbled to get up, as it was partially dark, and he was still sleepy. He checked his pockets to make sure he had all of his items. He started to get ready to try to find a way our of this place, and was walking when he heard, "You don't think you can just leave, do you? I'm your guide, remember?"

How could he forget? He peered into the darkness and saw the too familiar face of Rikku. He had spent the last week or so with her, roaming the desert looking for some people, All Heads, or something. He still hadn't seen any progress in their wandering, and he thought that Rikku was lost. She was shorter than him and was in her late teens, early twenties maybe. She was spunky- he liked that- and she always spoke her mind, which could get annoying. Always upbeat and talkative, Rikku had partially braided blond hair and beautiful green eyes, and always interesting outfits. Sometimes she would be wearing super skimpy outfits, like a bikini top with a mini skirt, and other times her whole body would be covered in robes. He thought that she must have some sort of magical transformation materia. As soon as he had thought of it, he disregarded it.

"Well, aren't you going to at least wait for me to make breakfast?" Cloud finally submitted and walked over towards Rikku and the make shift tent. He thought it was more of a blanket, not a tent covering, but it did keep him warm, so he didn't complain. Rikku was in the tent mixing some food she had stored. Luckily, since she and Gippal were searching anyways, they had plenty of food and water. But that was a week ago and the food was diminishing. Rikku was trying to ration it and she thought they could survive about another week. By the time she had finished mixing the ingredients, it looked like they would be eating a muddy paste with some lumps. "Are you positive this is edible?" Cloud's remark had a hint of humor and sarcasm in it, but he actually wanted an answer.

"Of course it's edible!! What do you take me for, an idiot?" Rikku stood there, overreacting. Her face was beet red out of anger, and she thought her cooking looked good. _How dare he insult my cooking!_

"Do you actually want me to answer you?" By now, Rikku had caught on to Cloud's humor, and started laughing, but she still felt a little hurt by his statement. "Look, sorry about ranting about your cooking, I can't cook worth didly-squat. It might not be the best tasting, but it's fine to eat. Thanks." Rikku wasn't sure whether this was a compliment or insult. She took it as a compliment and hugged him saying, "No problem." As she said this, she immediately pulled off Cloud and apologized. Cloud was a bit stunned but was fine. He accepted Rikku's apology and said he didn't mind. They quickly finished their meal and started to pack up their belongings. They were still searching for the Al Bhed people and they wanted all the time they could get.

The duo finished packing and began to head south. They had a compass and so they followed it. They walked endlessly, stopping only for water, food, or for shade (if they could find any). Rikku was in her Thief dress sphere, so she could be agile and not overly hot. Since she was Al Bhed, her skin was hard to burn. Unfortunate for Cloud, his dark clothing and fair skin only hindered him. He would have had constant sunburn if Rikku hadn't lent him a "hat" to wear. Cloud was sure what it was, but it helped, and he thanked her.

The sun was about halfway up in the sky, and so the friends stopped for lunch in the shade of a monolith. They ate silently, Rikku afraid of what she had done earlier, and Cloud because he was never good at talking, especially starting conversations. They finished and continued southbound. Rikku figured if they kept following one direction, either they would find some Al Bhed, or they would find the ocean. Cloud had started walking south when he first left, and so they continued. While they walked and as the sun scorched them and the sand, Cloud finally spoke, "Rikku, how much longer are we going to travel? I'm almost dieing of the heat, and with me not being from here doesn't help either."

As he spoke those words, and _not from here, _Rikku remembered how Gippal had disappeared, and she felt ashamed that she hadn't try to look for him. She had been too attracted to the stranger- Cloud- that she almost forgot about Gippal. Rikku stopped walking, fell over, and started sobbing. "Why!? Why must he be gone? Why can't he be here..." Tears trickled around her eyes, down her nose, off her chin and onto the blazing sand below. She sat there and cried until her throat was dry, her eyes were soaking, and her hands and legs were burning from the sand. As she sniffed her last tear and started to get up, Cloud came behind her and embraced her. She like his hug, strong and firm, and she absorbed his empathy. It took her a few minutes to realize that he wasn't Gippal; she felt a trace of regret, and pushed away from Cloud's arms.

"Look! I only let you hug me because I was feeling crummy! I don't like you or anything. My hug was an accident, so just, leave me alone!" Rikku started wailing again and Cloud was afraid of what to do. _If I try to help her, she'll only get madder at me. But, if I don't do anything, that isn't good either..._ Cloud just watched and whispered loudly enough for her to hear, "If you want to talk or anything, I'm here."

Rikku stopped sniveling and look at him. He seemed so sincere and she wanted him to hold her, but part of her told her 'no'. He noticed that her eyes were all red and he offered her a tissue. She took it and wiped her eyes and blew her nose. "Thanks. Look, Cloud, you seem very nice and all, but... what I'm trying to say is..." The more she thought about what she was going to say, the more her emotions got closer to exploding. One thought rang through her mind, _Do I like him because he's nice and cute, or is it because Gippal's gone, and he's the only one here?_ She wanted to accept him for who he was, and like him for that, but was it that simple? "What I want to say is thank you. It was kind of you to offer me help." She exhaled loudly, wiped her nose one more time, and continued onward.

It was now dusk. The sky was a faded blue, mixed with orange, pink, purple, and red. The stars began to twinkle and the clouds were disappearing with the sun. They glowed beautifully. They were tinted a beautiful purplish-pinkish-orange; shined like heavenly beings. _How romantic. If only I was with Gippal... I wonder where he is?_ Rikku stopped thinking, not wanting to imagine horrible things. "Cloud, where are you from? What was it like? And, how did you get here?" Rikku's body language showed her impatience. Cloud was silent, unpacked his things, and used his Fire materia to create a 'campfire'. After the logs had begun to burn, he turned to Rikku and muttered, "Midgar. Niblehiem."

Rikku stared at him, not knowing whether or not she understood him. "The land varied, but was mainly plains, forests, and mountains. There were three major islands." As he spoke, Cloud seemed to become saddened and his voice was getting softer. "Tifa... Aeris... Barett... Red XIII... Cid... Vincent... Yuffie... Cait Sith..." He stopped, and Rikku leaned in extensively to hear his last mutter. "I left them, I left them all. I don't know how to get back, I'm lost, afraid, sad, and I can't help them!" His started to sweat and his voice become louder with every word until he was shouting. "THEY'RE GONE!! THEY NEEDED MY HELP, AND I'M NOT THERE TO HELP THEM!! WHY!?!"

He started sobbing and he slumped down into the fetal position. Rikku was completely awestruck. _All of those people... they were friends and loved ones. I lost Gippal, but he lost eight of his friends, and he has no way of returning._ Rikku was full of empathy for Cloud, and so she walked over, sat down next to him, and said, "I'm here if you want to talk." She smiled, and put her hand on his. _I hope this makes him feel better!_ She blushed, but no one was around to tell. The fire crackled as it began to decline. Rikku gazed at it until the heat overtook her and she lay down nestled against Cloud, and fell asleep.

The sun began its slow ascent towards the top of the sky, and it uncovered a couple snuggled together in the desert sand. Remnants of a fire lay next to the pair and didn't show signs of retaining any heat. The sand was tinted as the clouds yesterday, a pinkish-orange. Rikku yawned and woke up. She fluttered her eyes open, and amazed, saw Cloud's face next to hers. She scrambled up and tried to sort her thoughts in her sleepiness. She vaguely remembered being by him, but not sleeping there, or him resting there, either. She saw the fire had died and wished that she had rekindled it. She walked into the tent and started to prepare breakfast.

Cloud woke up soon after Rikku started to head for the tent. He opened his eyes and saw a body impression next to his. _Rikku's? Did Rikku sleep next to me?_ He remembered how he had wailed and shouted the night before. He felt slightly ashamed, but soon disregarded it. He got up and thought if Rikku had slept there out of pity for him. It didn't matter- he wanted to thank her. He saw the abandoned logs and kicked them into the sand. He slowly made his way over to the tent thinking about what to say to Rikku. He decided to be completely frank.

He opened the tent cover quietly, so he could surprise Rikku. He crept up behind her and hugged her with his whole body. Rikku was startled at first, but soon she calmed down. "Rikku... thank you. I appreciate your sympathy. But, I have to tell you something." Rikku put her finger over his mouth to have him stop talking. "I know Cloud, and I feel the same way too." She took her arms and swung them over Cloud's back and held them together. She leaned on him, feeling and hearing his heart beat. She closed her eyes, and snuggled her head into his chest. She looked up and lightly pecked his check with a kiss.

"You're not getting anymore until we have breakfast," Rikku winked and continued to work on making the food. "We should be nearing the coast any day now, so, let's start as soon as possible." Cloud agreed. He started to pack while Rikku made brunch. They ate on the go and started their trek through the Bikanel Desert, filled with confidence, and inspired by romance.

**End of Chapter**

Please Review!

- AntiMusicMan


	4. IV: Burning Fire, Cooling Ice

Sorry it took forever to up-date. I had major writer's block and was super busy with sports and plays and everything (like homework). Here's the ficy! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone in this story. Do you?

**Chapter 4: Burning Fire, Cooling Ice**

Heat. Everything he saw, touched, felt, _heck_ even heard and smelled, was hot. It scorched his body like nothing before. He had been burned and touched by flames from Fire Materia, but never like this. Nothing had ever hurt like this, and he couldn't bear it any longer. "Rikku! Help me! My skin- my whole body- it's on fire!!" Rikku quickly turned around as she heard his scream. She searched through her items but couldn't find anything and just gave Cloud a High-Potion and Remedy, hoping it would quell the burn.

"Here, just lie down, and everything will be ok. Just rest." She placed a towel and his head and placed an Ice Gem on it. She turned around and sphere changed into the Al Bhed-like costume of an Alchemist. "Hm… maybe… if that is with… no, maybe with that… hm…" She lightly bit her tongue to show her frustration. _I sure hope this works._ "Rikku… please… hurry. This heat… dizzy… where are you?"

_Great, he's hallucinating. I'd better act quickly. This better not flop on me._ She walked over and replaced the melted Ice Gem. "Here, this mix should help." She gave him a light red liquid which looked almost fiery. Cloud was reluctant, but eventually drank it. He almost immediately fell asleep after sipping the last drops. "Must have been a drowsy medicine. O well, I could use the rest anyways." Rikku laid down next to her new friend and companion and fell into a deep sleep.

"Rikku's Dream**":**

_Purple. Everything was shaded a light purple. But why? There were some tints of red and blue, but still, there was no green or yellow, nor black and white. Everything looked somewhat normal- as normal as a dream can be…_

_She saw the beach, the edge of the Sanubia Sands, the ocean of Spira. She looked left and saw her lover Gippal pacing back and forth, worried and yet calm. She started to walk over to him when she heard a clinging noise. Only she could hear it. She turned around, right, and saw Cloud, fully healed swinging his sword wildly. _

_Rikku was stunned. If she went to Gippal, it seemed Cloud would charge. If she went towards Cloud, would Gippal shoot at him?_

_She looked more closely at Gippal; something was off. He had his Al Bhedian blonde hair and green eyes. He wore with trademark purple suit with the grayish-white stripes. She saw his eye patch. Everything seemed normal about him; he even had his gun with him. But the aura around him was different; it was oddly fierce and uninviting, almost rude. She still felt her attraction towards him, but that too wasn't the same as before. She had had fun with Gippal, they'd hugged, cuddled, and kissed. So why did she feel different for him now, was it because of Cloud?_

_She turned over to see Cloud, in his gray and purple suit. His gargantuan sword hung over his shoulder. His yellow hair spiked wildly out of his head. She felt her attraction to him too. And as Gippal, she sensed a difference with him. Cloud seemed very peaceful, almost too much, since he looked like a warrior._

_As Rikku pondered what to do, a fiery meteor crashed down in front of her and had the symbols too familiar to her- the sacred symbols of the Yevon temples. Out of the meteor crept a flaming creature, almost bird and bear like. It howled, piercing the sky and rippling the water. Gippal and Cloud spun and ran to protect Rikku, but when they saw each other, they became enraged. They drew their fighting towards each other, not the menace. Bullets shot into Cloud; hacks and slashes into Gippal._

_Rikku cowered, out of fear and because of the discordant noise echoing throughout the beach from the invading beast. As Rikku went to look up to help, everything was gone. In its place was a quiet, dead silent, meadow with purple and green flowers. The sky was pitch black and Rikku could see only a few yards ahead of her. _

'_O… now what… Where's Gippal and Cloud… and what happened to that beast thingy?'_

_Rikku paced back and forth, waiting for an answer to pop into her head. A chill ran down her spine. Something had made a faint growl…or whistle? Rikku nervously walked in circles, hoping the 'thing' had disappeared. She plopped on the ground and dozed off…_

"Rikku! Rikku! Wake up. I'm here, there's nothing to worry about." Cloud shook Rikku gently to wake her up from her catnap. He continued to rustle her until she slapped him. "OK! Geez, I get the idea. I'm awake now. I don't need your help!" Rikku lied. She could still feel the coolness of the barren dreamland. She shivered and continued to walk in their trek. After walking for a few minutes did she realize the causticness of her remark. She turned her head and saw Cloud following her footsteps. She wanted to stay mad, but she couldn't. He was just too cute. _Is he always that cute… or is he trying to get my pity? Either way, I should go with him, I don't want him burning to death!_

Rikku turned around and walked, slowly, towards Cloud. When they met up, Rikku asked how his burns were, and Cloud gave a nonchalant shrug. Rikku didn't know whether that meant _yes _or _I'm not talking to you. _She asked Cloud if he would talk to her. His reply was a 'sure'.

Rikku, being as impatient and stubborn as she is, tried unsuccessfully to not care about Cloud. She constantly stared at him and grinned. She slowed down to keep up with him and she continuously nagged about how he should've been more careful. All Cloud kept doing was biting his tongue, trying not to sass back or laugh. He smiled too, because he could see that she liked him.

"So, Rikku," he finally mumbled out, "why exactly are you in this desert anyways? How come you don't live in a city or anything?" Rikku stopped. She played with her hair for a bit and then wet her lips. She turned around slowly and shifted in the sand.

"I'm in the desert, bucko, 'cause I'm excavating for machina- ya know, machines? I was with my bo- … bro…ther out in the desert. Then he disappeared and you took his place!" She pointed her finger out at Cloud, like she was condemning him. "It's because of you!" She ran over to him and started to pound on his chest. "It's all your fault!" she managed between burst of tears. "It's that stupid idol, it switched your two places… it's all your fault!" She punched his chest and started to cry. Cloud wrapped his arms around Rikku trying to calm her sorrow and trying to stop her form attacking.

"It's okay… he can still come back."

_Can he? Can Gippal ever come back? Will he still be the same? Do I want him to come back now?_

Rikku felt comforted by Cloud's hug but then shoved herself out of it. "What do you think you're doing? I'm mad at you! You can't just hug me and think that'll all go away!" Rikku screamed angrily. Cloud was stunned for a second but then grinned. "You loved your brother that much?" He walked away a few steps and started to chuckle.

"How can you laugh? I'm so mad at you!" Rikku walked over and tripped in the sand, but not before she kicked Cloud's leg. Cloud and Rikku both tumbled into the sand dune, playing a game of snowball fighting but with sand instead.

Cloud ran over to Rikku and captured her in his arms, laughing the whole time. "You know how you said that a hug won't make you less angry at me?" He leaned in more so she could hear better. "What about this?" He continued to lean in and he kissed her on the lips. Rikku was surprised but enjoyed it still. She liked the warm feeling of his lips and she was in love. She protested at first but then stopped. She looked at his deep blue eyes and was drifted off to dream world.

She pulled back finally. "That'll only work for a while!" She blushed and started to continue towards the beach. After a distance she yelled, "You really had noright to do that!" but under her breath, so Cloud couldn't hear, she murmured, "But that's fine with me."

Rikku walked on into the distance, and Cloud followed. Rikku's mixture had healed and protected Cloud so he wasn't be encumbered by the sun's heat. They walked, holding hands, towards the speck of blue in the distance. They finally had found the ocean!

**End of Chapter**


	5. V: Hurt

I'm glad that you all like this fic so much! I wouldn't have continued if you peoples didn't! I'm glad I have some fans in Brazil! (I disclaimed last chapter…)

**Chapter 5:Hurt**

"Cloud… Cloud… hello," Rikku said softly. "Are you listening? You seemed kinda dazed." Rikku stared at Cloud and wondered why he wasn't responding. She lightly pinched his arm to 'reawaken' him. Cloud winced and looked at her. "What was that for?" He rubbed his arm.

"You weren't talking to me. I got worried."

"Sorry. I was just remembering how we met." Cloud backed out of Rikku's embrace, since they were dancing, and walked over to the food table. "I'll be right back," Cloud waved, "after I get some more food." He chuckled and walked over to the table.

Rikku looked dumbfounded as her love walked away from her so easily. She stood with her eyes completely open and her jaw dropped. She also didn't seem to be aware of all the dancing going around her. She finally noticed when someone accidentally bumped into her. "Oh, sorry, I – we – didn't mean to knock into you." Rikku started to forgive her and apologize for not being aware, but then she noticed a strange familiarity about the man that had bumped into her.

"Gippal… is that… you?" Rikku couldn't believe it. Her eyes didn't lie- did they? Rikku covered her mouth as she gasped. Rikku kept staring and blinking and soon it started to disturb the man. "Excuse me, how do you know my name?" Rikku took a deep breath and whispered to him, "You might want to sit down. What I think is true might knock the floor from beneath you."

Rikku walked slowly, examining the man, trying to pick out something different. The man tried to pretend to ignore her rude behavior, but it proved too difficult. They sat down at a table, laced with a simple, elegant tablecloth and pure white candles. He pulled out a chair for her. _I don't remember Gippal ever being this gentlemanly._ Rikku sat down and started to explain.

"Your name, it is Gippal, right?" She peered into his eyes. His eyes- they were different. He no longer had an eye patch; both eyes reflected the candles like tiny jade mirrors. He nodded. "And do you know who I am?" Rikku moved her fingers to point to herself.

The man began to shake his head to signify a _no_, but he stopped suddenly and started to murmur, "no… yes? Are you-"

_-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-_

Cloud had gotten some food and was starting to make his way back towards Rikku when he saw her get bumped into by a blonde haired man. He was average height, maybe on the short end. He looked decently muscled and had a natural tan to him, although it was autumn. He saw them talk, and saw Rikku's reaction when she saw the stranger's face. _Who is this guy?_ Cloud thought. His mind raced to an ex-boyfriend, a stalker, and a brother even. _Maybe he's an old good friend?_ Cloud knew he had to find out. He started again to approach Rikku, when he saw her lean into his head, to whisper to him. Unfortunately, he didn't see the whispering and he thought about deception, cheating, and lies. _Has Rikku been playing me this whole time? Was she planning on dumping me? _Cloud started jogging over to the table where Rikku and the stranger where headed. He tried to make sure Rikku didn't notice him. He was beet red in the face.

When he got to the table he heard, "no… yes? Are you-" and punched the guy talking. The stranger never finished his sentence because he fell over.

"What the freaking hell was that for?" The guy stood up and decked Cloud right in his chest. He kept jabbing Cloud, alternating from the nose, chest, to waist. Cloud tried to block his volleys, but the stranger was too quick. His nose quickly began to bleed. Everytime now that his nose got hit, blood squirted over himself, the attacker's fists and hands, and anything nearby. Rikku screamed and bolted from the table. "Stop! Gippal, Cloud, behave yourselves!"

Gippal and Cloud continued to fight despite Rikku's pleas. Gippal had bloodstained fists and blood drops on his shirt. Cloud, on the other hand, wasn't fairing so well. His face was an explosion of blood, thanks to his broken and bleeding nose. His cheeks were bruised and his shirt had bloodstains as well. Cloud was exhausted and it seemed he hadn't even hurt the blonde stranger yet. He was on the ground panting.

"You know, you shouldn't be cheating on my girl," Cloud spat. Gippal stopped his punching. The anger seemed to disappear from his eyes; they soon were filled with confusion. "Cheating? Your girl?" he asked. "Whoa buddy, I think you've got this all wrong-" Cloud took this opportunity and decked Gippal right on the side of his face. Gippal put a finger to his cheek. He felt blood.

"I don't care what you say. Gippal is it?"

"CLOUD! That's enough!" Rikku had changed out of her dress and was in her Warrior costume. "Gippal! Cloud! You need to stop _now!" _Rikku stood in between the two fighters. "This is a wedding party and you're acting like animals! I hate you both!" Rikku ran out the doors, crying, pouting, and yelling at the same time. Her act fazed both the men. "She's right you know."

Both of their adrenaline reduced and neither seemed in a bloodlust. They walked to opposite sides of the room. Gippal walked over to the men's bathroom to clean up his wounds and clothes the best he could. Cloud went to the other bathroom to quickly stop the bleeding. He was going after Rikku.

_-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-_

Gippal ran his hands through his hair and over his face. He had wet his wounds with cold water. He blotted his bloodstained shirt. "Well, at least I _look_ somewhat respectable." _Why did I have such an urge to protect that girl? Rikku, was it?_ _She wanted to know if I knew her. I wonder if I should have._

As he was pondering his questions, the bathroom door flung open and smashed on the wall. "I'll have to fix that later." He eyed the Al Bhed. "You there, get out of here, now! I don't care why you're here or why your fought my friend, but leave! This is _my _wedding and I will not tolerate bloodshed." Gippal, not in the mood for another fight, put up his hands halfway to signal 'alright, whatever'. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to attack your friend," Gippal murmured as he left the bathroom.

Leon didn't care much about his apology. "What a grand wedding this is turning out to be." He left to go find and comfort his new bride, Yuffie.

_-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-_

Cloud's hair and face were dripping wet. His collar and cuffs were soaked, both with blood and water. He opened the doors to the cold fall night. It gave him goose bumps to stand in the cool breeze. He looked around and didn't see Rikku. "Hello! Rikku, are you out there!" No response. She must be hiding from him, Cloud reasoned, or maybe the infamous cold shoulder. Like he wasn't cold enough already. He walked briskly into the strange streets to find his lost lover. "Rikku, I love you!"

_-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-_

Leon walked out of the bathroom to utter chaos. _Great, more of a mess to clean up._ He walked over to the stage and grabbed the microphone. "Um. Hello everyone. I'd like to all to go sit down and remain calm. If you're dirty or whatever, go to the bathroom." He pointed his finger in its general direction. The wedding guests were starting to calm down and take their seats. "Yuffie, if you're out there, could you come up here, with me, please?"

Everyone looked around the room for Yuffie. Murmuring was mingled in with the expectancy of the new bride. "I think she left with that Rikku girl a while ago," someone shouted out. "Alright. You enjoy yourselves. Dance, talk, eat, and party. Remember to have a swell time." Leon dropped the microphone and jumped off the stage. He ran out the door to find Yuffie. _I'll probably run into Rikku and Cloud, too. _He swung out his Gunblade, well aware of what might be lurking in the alley shadows.

_-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-_

Gippal wandered out of the dance hall after Cloud, but before Leon. He hadn't heard Cloud's cry of affection. He walked slowly, and a little swaying, and almost resembled a drunk. His head hurt from the fight. He cursed at Cloud for attacking him. "Damnit." He had his head down and didn't notice where he was going. He had stumbled into an alley way.


	6. VI: Shadow Stalkers

Sorry I haven't updated for forever. Busy with school, track, school projects, and vacations. But, hopefully this chapter will be well worth the wait. Enjoy!

**Chapter 6: Shadow Stalkers**

It was cold, bitter cold, and pitch black, too. The streetlights didn't work much in the inner city, and here, they were nonexistent. The girl moved her head side to side, up and down the streets, looking. She couldn't see anyone or any trace that someone had been here. _Where are you? _Yuffie thought. _You know, you're ruining my wedding._

The ninja bride had slipped out of her wedding dress around the same time Rikku had run off. Yuffie didn't like dresses, even ones that were short. Yuffie was dressed in her signature ninja attire: silver head band, green spaghetti strap top, beige shorts, short yellow scarf, and think gloves. She also had her giant shuriken in her hands. _Just in case something moves_. Yuffie was chasing after Rikku; she didn't like the idea of her best friend being alone and possibly lost. She shivered as a cold breeze echoed down the alleyway.

"Rikku! Hey, Rikku! Where are you! You know, you're not being very helpful by running!" Yuffie cupped her hands to her mouth to try to amplify her already loud enough yell. "I'm coming for you," she said to herself. Yuffie jumped down and then ran off into the darkness; desperately searching for her friend, not aware that someone was searching for her.

…………………………………………

Rikku didn't like the dark or cold either. She was wandering, groping through the street, bumping into doors, walls, trash cans, dumpsters, food stands, and broken lights trying to run away from the chaos of the party. She wasn't mad anymore, but she didn't want to give up and let Cloud win. Man's pride had rubbed off on her.

Rikku, too, had changed. She decided to change into her normal Thief costume. She was the most experienced with it, and it allowed her to move swiftly and silently without hindering her strength. It also helped her to blend in with the locals.

As she wandered through the streets she heard faint yellings of her name. She didn't want to be found, not yet. She wanted to be alone from everyone, even Cloud. She darted around another corner, pretending to know where she was going. She didn't know why, but she always felt like she had to know what was going on and that she had to act mature and grown-up, even when no one else was there. She wandered down the alleyway, looking at the street and houses more closely. She soon regretted it.

The street was old fashioned, curbed so the water would drain down the sides and onto the sidewalk. It was overgrown with grass, moss, and fungus. The stones were arranged in neat rows, but the archaic street emitted an eeriness. It seemed haunted. The houses too were ramshackle and ancient. All of them were completely wooden and worn down. The houses reeked of rotten wood and pungent smells oozed out of the cracks. Doors were cracked in half and falling apart. Broken windows and wood pieces littered lawns and the street. Rikku thought she saw things crawling and oozing out of the wood, but decided it was better she didn't know.

The houses were menacing, with grotesque statues and pillars that seemed to follow Rikku. The house itself seemed possessed, like a demon jack-o-lantern. The windows, smashed and jagged, were devil eyes piercing the night. The door and front archway were crumbled and a pile of stone rubble, but the moon played upon it. With the dancing shadows, it was a frightening mouth, hungry for a new victim to devour. Rikku was petrified and looked up to the sky for a refuge from the nightmarish neighborhood. But the moon seemed to be haunted as well, for its crevices and mountains made an evil grin of jagged teeth.

Rikku screamed at the top of her lungs, piercing the dead silence the plagued the houses. She quickly covered her mouth, though, afraid that something might hear her. She began to back up slowly. She continued to walk backwards until she rounded the corner again. She no longer could she the devil houses, but she wanted to get away as fast as possible. And she wanted to get away so badly, she forgot to see the bulky shadows following behind her.

…………………………………………

Gippal was hunched over, walking aimlessly down the street. He entered a dark alley, but didn't pay heed. He had lived here for five years now. Anyone who knew him didn't bother him. He stopped midway in the alley and slightly looked up. His head didn't move so he appeared to not have actually moved. He saw what he was looking for and began to walk again. He pretended to be drunk; he had been wasted enough times before that it wasn't too hard to fake it. He swayed to and fro down the street, occasionally bumping into a wall. His shirt was torn and wet from the fight earlier and it only added to his illusion.

As he was about to get out of the alley, he stumbled and fell over, landing face down. He smashed his nose as he fell and heard the cartilage crunch. Blood began to ooze out of the seemingly lifeless body into a small pool around his head. His face and shirt continued to sop up his blood. He lay there, waiting patiently for it to come. It finally did.

A bulky, hulk-like man wandered down the street, and up to the fallen Gippal. He was dressed in night black clothes and was a shadow brought to life. He had long silky silver hair that cloaked his eyes. His dark hood covered all but the bottom of his head. He grinned and stepped on top of Gippal, grinding his foot into Gippal's back. He stopped, satisfied and bent down. He picked up Gippal's head and examined the face. He stroked the Al Bhed's hair and smiled again. He set the head down and slowly and arrogantly strode down the alley. Next, he was whammed by something hard and strong and stumbled to the ground, ripping his dead-of-night cloak. He roared, glaring his teeth at his unknown enemy. Gippal was up, and ready to fight. He lunged at the cloaked man and barely missed because he sidestepped. Gippal quickly turned around to defend himself, but the mysterious man was too swift. He pulled out a pristine silver pistol, glittering in the moonlight. His grin overtook his entire face. He pulled the trigger and a loud resonating _boom_ was heard throughout the alleyways. He then laughed manically.

…………………………………………

The rush of chilling wind was the first thing that hit him, and it had stuck with him. His wet hair, hands, and clothes absorbed the cold crazily. He shivered and wished he had something else to wear. But, he had more important things to worry about that his clothes, which was way too feminine for him to be doing. He needed to find Rikku, and fast. Who knew what bozos, murderers, druggies, drunks, or rapists wandered the inner city? He recalled Midgar and hoped that this planet's cities were a bit better kept and a bit less vulgar. Remembering Midgar made Cloud sad; he missed all his friends and wanted to be with them. He felt guilty though. Tifa was probably searching for him, and she was obsessed over him. They were deep in love. Was it right for him to be with Rikku when Tifa was abandoned? He longed for Tifa, her body, her character, and her humor. But he also wanted Rikku.

He shook his hair flinging water droplets on the cement. He wanted not to think of what he had left behind, it hurt too much, even now. He sighed and said, "Rikku, I'm coming."

He walked down the street, not sure where he was or where he was going. As he crept through the dark roads he noticed something in front of him, something moving, something scary. He crept quietly now, trying to sneak up on this mysterious man. He saw its distinct deep violet, almost black, full-body cloak. It covered its body, arms and legs, and went past its feet. The cuffs were lined with silver and a crescent was embroidered on the hood. The cloaked man was moving slowly and cautiously too, as if it was stalking something itself. Cloud scurried down the alleyway after it and then crouched. He was going to need a plan, and a damn good one. He decided what to do and moved to carry out his plan.

The violet-cloaked man never knew what hit him. It happened to be a giant bandaged Buster Sword. The sword cut a clean slice through him. Immediately, he began to disintegrate and little spheres of light shot out of him. Cloud had gotten used to it. In these worlds, enemies killed released their souls in an essence called 'pyreflies' which then would create new living being. It made him shudder to think that he was made out of a dead person's energy. He tucked his sword back into its sheath on his back and continued walking.

As he walked, he gazed at the surrounding houses and was spooked. It seemed death rode hand in hand with midnight. Skeletons, jack-o'-lanterns, torn flesh, gargoyles, imps, demons, and hell filled the houses and lots. It seemed to be an eternal Halloween, but one made up of all pranksters who wouldn't think twice of killing eachother. It spooked Cloud and he silently treaded, looking for the exit. He thought he saw another figure in the distance. He heard a huge scream and covered his ears and dove to the ground. It stung and he hoped no one was attacking him or Rikku. _Rikku!_ He thought. _I've got to find you, and soon. _He hoped no one had found her. He thought of all the horrible things that could've happened. He cursed and ran in the scream's direction, hoping it was Rikku's; but he almost hoped it wasn't hers, and that she was safe. As he ran and tried to sort out his mixed feelings, he kept one thing in the front of his mind.

_Once I find you Rikku, I'm never letting you go, and I'm going to give you the best welcoming of your life. _


	7. VII: We Are Coming

My stupid computer was all frozen, and not working, so I couldn't update.

Sorry for the lateness. I'm also going to try to write longer and better chapters. Tell me what you think! If you have any ideas for later chapters, please tell me!

Note: This chapter has influences from the N64 game, Gauntlet Legends.

>.>.>FIC>.>.>.STAR>.>.>.TS>.>.>.NOW>.>.>.

**Chapter 7: We Are Coming**

"It's time."

The persons nodded. Their features were hidden behind the shield of shadow. Both of them were about the same height, and both were in good shape. The only major noticeable difference were the figures' choice of weapons. One brandished an axe, which was slung over his bulky shoulder. It was double-edged, and could be thrown at an enemy or used to hack away. The other seemed more conservative, as he held a skinny wooden staff. But this one's power lay in his magical abilities, and the staff was used only for close combat.

The pair of fighters, gathered up a few last minute items. And walked out of the stone corridor. They turned, their elegant robes swishing behind them, over-exaggerating their movements. They now were at a large room, furnished with ceiling hung candle chandeliers, torches on the circular walls, large stained glass windows above each of the four entrances, and simple, yet elegant, furniture.

They looked at the table and couches, and seeing that no one else was there, they plopped themselves onto a rather large couch. They flipped down their hoods and began to talk about their execution of the new plan. The axe-wielder was muscular, with bulging arm and chest muscles. He had a short moustache and a short beard, which connected to his sideburns. His facial hair was a deep brown and hints of red. His skull was bald, and it reflected the chandelier's glow. His eyes seemed to hold past anger and resentment, but that he was past those feelings, too. He had glaring red eyes, and when he grew angry, they would flare up, and the stare alone might kill an enemy. His long-sleeved robe, which covered his entire body, was a deep red, almost black, color. It was trimmed with a simple border of gold. In the center on both the front and back was his symbol, an axe with two horns, one on each side, sticking out.

Despite his immense physique, Hakaar had a compassionate side: he would only kill if he was saving another. He vowed this life of guardianship after he had massacred an entire village out of rage. He was so terrified from his ravage assault, that he gave his life to protection. And so, he always travels with a partner, to keep him in check.

Hakaar's partner dressed in a similar fashion. He had an almost black robe, but his was tinted green. The trim, unlike Hakaar's, was ornate, with little floral and archaic designs. It added to his mystique, and was said to give the mage hidden magic. Unlike his warrior counterpart, who wore the robe over his attire to conceal his body, the magician always wore the robe, and so, it was more complex. He had leather arm buckles on his wrists, and a leather belt around his waist. His robe cut in on the chest, to reveal some of his muscle. It started full width at the shoulders, and as it traveled closer to his waist, it got thinner. The bottom of the robe was traditional, with the symbol of a canine head and two magic energy spheres on either side. His symbol was on his left leg and another on his back.

He had hair that stretched past his ears. He had no facial hair except a small goatee. His hair was jet black and flowed all over, as he didn't believe in grooming his hair. He had yellow eyes that could peer into the darkest night and seemed to pierce people's hearts. Both of these two men could strike fear instantly, and they weren't the type to be pushed around.

Jackal, the mage, stopped talking and turned his head around, to scan the room again. The only difference he could make out was the passing of the sun, and so he looked back to his companion. He sensed something different, though. Something seemed out of place, but he couldn't figure out what.

He looked back at the four stained glass windows. Each depicted a different scene, a different mood, and a different world. He glanced at the one to the north. It was icy blue and yellow, and it seemed sheathed in a thin layer of mist or ice. At the top was a snowfall, and beneath, an ice monster. This window always made him feel better, more calm and peaceful.

He glanced left, and viewed the western window. It depicted a farmland, pastoral and calm. Green stained the entire window. And, the center figure was of a slime. This window gave off an eerie feeling, and always put him on edge.

Hakaar, who realized that Jackal sensed something disturbing, looked at the four doorways into the chamber. He looked eastward, the hallway they came from, and didn't see anything unusual. He glanced above it, to the window. This window was bathed in crimson flame. Lava and mountains decorated its surface, and a dragon was the focal point. He always had liked this window; it seemed to have a strong aura, one that emitted strength and courage.

He glanced right, and looked at the southern hall. Still, nothing seemed out of place. The stone pathway was exactly identical to the others: old decaying stones which the occasional cracks. But each hallway had a distinct covering, one to match its window. The North hallway was covered by a thin layer of ice, the West hallway was covered with a slimy ooze, and the East hallway had fiery lava line its cracks. Only the South hallway was undisturbed, it was pristine.

As he glanced down its darkened hall, his eyes could not help but be drawn up to the final window. A tint of deep blue clouded the stained glass. In the background of it laid an ancient castles, its towers overlooking the countryside. A thundercloud was overhead, with a lightning bolt streaking downwards towards the battlement. A ferocious chimera lay in front of the castle, ready to invade and devour.

This window gave both the men chills, and they tried not to venture into its corridor. Although these windows symbolized the four ancient guardians who freed the four realms from the control of a demon, it had an eerie and evil sense to it. Whatever the reason, both of them vowed never to go there.

Jackal smirked and cleared his throat to catch Hakaar's attention. Hakaar spun around, slightly embarrassed to be pondering over the four windows. Jackal just smiled and nodded. "Let's go."

Hakaar gathered his mighty axe and put a few potions and items into a satchel. He slung both over his shoulder and walked towards the center of the large room. He just stood there, taking one final glance at the room. He was going to miss its familiarity.

Jackal gathered his things, too. He picked up the wooden staff engraved with ancient text. He put some healing medicines and food into his own satchel and joined his friend in the center. He rose both hands above his head and began to chant an incantation. His words were foreign and long lost to history, but they still contained their magical abilities. He shouted the last words and placed his hands at his side.

They waited and nothing seemed to change. Slowly and elegantly, a circle formed around the two men and it shone brighter than the sun. It grew larger and began to swirl upwards, engulfing their feet, then legs, chest, and finally heads. They nodded farewell and were whisked away.

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Gippal rubbed his head again. It was a long night. He wondered what had happened again. He didn't remember getting drunk or wasted, but maybe it just wiped his memory out. But it stung like hell. He moaned and looked at his hand. It was severely bloodied up from holding his face. That robed bastard had shot him in the eye. And boy, did he get it. After Gippal fell down, the robed man just stayed there, like he was expecting someone to come take him away. Gippal took this moment and ambushed his attacker. He first knocked the man unconscious and then beat the crap out of him. He finally grew fatigued and chucked the lifeless lowlife into a dumpster. "That'll teach 'em to mess with Gippal," he muttered to himself.

He clutched his right eye, or rather, where the eye went. The bullet had blown into his eye, and he wasn't in the mood to try to fish it out. The loss of blood throughout the night was giving him an enormous headache, and the fatigue made him barely able to walk.

"How in the hell am I going to get help now?" Gippal thought of what to do, but he was running out of his precious time. He couldn't think straight, with the pounding in his head, the bleeding from his eye socket, and the tiredness from battle. His tuxedo was completely destroyed. He wasn't going to be getting his gil back from the rental store.

The suit jacket was ripped and shredded, and barely hung on by the left shoulder. His white buttoned shirt was now wrinkled, untucked, and stained from blood and sweat. His black pants were in decent shape, but they still were dirtied up. He managed somehow to take the suit jacket off with only one hand. He searched through the pockets with his left hand, searching for something to help his eye. He found it and quickly fingered it to make sure it would work. Satisfied, he slipped it over his head and over his right eye. He slipped his hand out and tightened the black strip to contain the blood. He clicked the belt loop into place and let go.

Gippal felt proud of his accomplishment, but he knew it was only temporary. He still needed to find a hospital, or a healer… something to end the pain. He scratched his head and ran his fingers through his sandy blond hair. He looked down at a small rain puddle and saw his hair had little streaks of red in them. He looked like a street punk, a guy who had drank too many beers and been in too many fights. Maybe it'd help his reputation.

The rain from the night before had washed out most of his smaller wounds and the blood pool from the deceased assailant who attacked Gippal. He never did find out who he was, or why he was trying to kill him, but it didn't seem to matter anymore. He was shivering from the dampness of his body freezing with the cold night. He needed help, and he needed it now.

He wandered down the alleyways, looking for that girl who said she knew him. Although he couldn't place a name, or even a connection, he felt that she was right. They had met before. He also felt a strange attraction to her, one he hadn't felt in awhile. He wondered why, and what it was. He just placed it as love, not seeing love as having any importance, and tried to think of other things. But his mind began to wander back to the lovely girl, and soon all his thoughts where about her.

"Rikku." He said aloud dreamily. "That's her name. Rikku. What a lovely name."

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Light cackled over the night as the sun rose. It was dawn, and the sky was light pink-purple, and dark blue. A few stubborn stars still competed with the sun for space, but in the end, gave up and burned out. Now, the sun was the only light in the early sky, and its warmth and brightness brought comfort to the ninja.

Yuffie had been wandering in the alleys all last night looking for her friend Rikku. The autumn night was freezing, and the drizzle only made it worst. Yuffie was soaked, and then frozen, and now the sun was thawing her out. She stopped and sighed, beginning to realize her pointless wandering. She would never find Rikku. She just sat down and laid her head back. She closed her eyes, and yawned. All the searching had made Yuffie hungry and tired. She was only going to close her eyes for a few minutes. She bathed in the warm sun, and soon fell into a deep sleep. One which she wouldn't wake from in a long while.

As the sun was rising, Rikku still was running away from the horrible ghost town she had found earlier that night. She too, like Yuffie, was fatigued and hungry, but she couldn't stop running. Not after she had seen that place and heard the noise. She had been wandering and heard a loud explosion. She looked around for the fire and smoke, and seeing neither, remembered that other things could make that noise, a gun. She was terrified now, for she thought that thugs from the haunted town were coming after her. She vaguely remembered seeing shadowy figures follow her, but perhaps it was but her imagination. Either way, see couldn't stop moving.

She was freezing, and she rubbed her shoulders to try to keep some body heat. The cold crisp autumn morning was slightly getting warmer, but not fast enough. Rikku was going to have to find some shelter or heat soon, or else she would freeze over. She had sphere changed into the Berserker earlier, to try to out run the possible attackers, but as the outfit didn't provide much clothing or warmth, she soon switched into Trainer. It gave her a full dress and long sleeves, which dramatically warmed her up. The dress sphere also allowed her to use her pet monkey, Ghiki. He could scout up ahead, scavenge for food, and even perform simple magic.

Rikku dwelled in her quick thinking for a little, and then continued to walk the streets. All of them seemed the same. Each side was lined with apartments or stores, all crammed into eachother. The city reminded her of Luca. But Luca wasspacious compared to this place. She wondered if the Zanarkand of 1,000 years ago was similar to this city. She had been trying to connect this world to Spira as much as possible so she wouldn't feel so homesick. It worked slightly, but by comparing, she would begin to think about Spira, and that was exactly what she was trying to avoid.

She knew she needed to get back, and after she met up with Cloud, she would journey back home to stay.

Rikku had been daydreaming of Spira and Zanarkand, and so she got lost. Not that she really knew where she was going in the first place, but now she was utterly confused. Not sure of what to do, and trying not to panic to worsen the situation, Rikku figured to keep walking in one direction. But, her insecurity surfaced soon enough, and she began to tremble. She shivered, still slightly cold, and looked around her. Every direction looked the same, and she was scared.

Rikku wanted to scream, but she also was smart enough not to try to attract unwanted attention. She looked around again, and noticed a lump on one of the tops of the smaller buildings. She murmured to Ghiki, "Go up there and see who it is. If we know them, let them know I'm down here." She moved her hands to help her monkey,by pointing at the lump, at herself, and then at the ground.

Ghiki nodded and scampered up the wall. He disappeared and Rikku wondered what he was doing. Just as she was about to climb up herself, her monkey appeared. He was excited, and was jumping up and down. Rikku figured that meant someone they knew was up there, and so she climbed the ladder up the roof.

She jumped down to the roof, and dusted her outfit off from the rusty ladder. Content that most of the dirt and rust was off her, Rikku looked at the body. She gasped, and covered her mouth with her overly large sleeves. She ran over and waved her hands above the body's head. It didn't stir, and Rikku was panicking that something horrible had happened, that maybe she was dead.

Rikku motioned for Ghiki and told him, "Ghiki, heal Yuffie! Use Ghiki Pep!" Ghiki scurried over to Yuffie, and lightly pounced on her side. Little spheres of magic twinkled as Yuffie was being healed. Rikku was biting her fingernails, hoping that her best friend was going to be alright. Ghiki finished and ran back to Rikku, climbed her back, and perched himself on her head. Rikku giggled, and then went over to Yuffie.

"C'mon Yuffie, you can do it! Ohh… C'mon! Wake up!" Rikku had begun to shake her. Seeing no reaction, Rikku gave up and plopped herself next to her friend. Tears began to water up in her eyes. She closed her eyes and tried to stop crying.

"Hey, it's going to be okay.I'llbe fine!" Rikku nodded and replied, "You're right…" Rikku spun her head around and screamed. "Yuffie!"

Yuffie was standing up, comforting Rikku. Rikku jumped up and hugged Yuffie, accidentally knocking both of them over. "Hey," Yuffie groaned, "What'd you do that for?" Rikku rolled off Yuffie and murmured, "Sorry!" She smiled and started dancing about.

Yuffie raised her eyebrow, trying to figure out her extra moody friend. She wanted to know why Rikku was so sad, and now elated. She asked Rikku, and she told Yuffie how she thought Yuffie was dead or unconscious. Yuffie just giggled and thanked Rikku from saving her from the 'awful sun'. They stayed up there for a few more minutes, just laughing and have fun.

Rikku was glad that Yuffie was okay, but felt a little guilty for making her come out to search for her. Speaking of feeling guilty, she regretted walking out on Cloud, even though he was acting like a complete jerk. She grew worried for Cloud, wondering where he was. He was probably looking for her right now.

She told Yuffie about her concerns, and they agreed to go looking for Cloud. They climbed down the ladder and were back on the streets. Rikku said her goodbye to Ghiki and changed back into her Thief dress sphere. Ready for action, and on a new mission, the two female warriors set out to find Cloud.


	8. VIII: Trapped

Here's the next chapter in our exciting story. Please, give me any suggestions, comments, or critiques.

**Chapter 8: Trapped**

(This first part takes place between chapters 6 and 7)

It was still dark out, and it had begun to rain. It started off slowly, and infrequent, but now it was pouring. The cold tiny bullets stung the flesh and dissuaded people from venturing outside there homes. But Cloud was on a mission, and he could take nature's fury. But, the torrent was slowing him down, and he wouldn't be able to track them like this. The rain hindered his visibility greatly, and offered more hiding places for the thieves. He needed to find her, to find his lover. He couldn't bear being separated, and he needed her more than ever. He just wanted to grab her, to hold onto her forever and never let go, and to kiss her. But first, he needed to find someone else.

The rain stopped after a few hours, but our adventurer still had not found his target. He wandered hopelessly, now shivering from the cold winds. He had managed to learn a few things, though.

An organization called the Twilight Clan was behind numerous thefts and murders in this area. All of their members must wear a black or deep-colored robe. The lighter the robe, the higher the ranking. Each member also bore the insignia of the group on them, a circle of stars surrounding a six-pointed star. Each member's strength, magic, and speed would increase dramatically, though no one really knew how. The Twilight Clan was a very top-notch organization and was involved in many robberies, murders, bombings, assassinations, and kidnappings. They were notorious, and when spotted, struck instant feat into hearts.

Cloud couldn't figure out why this group was trying to find him and Rikku, but he knew he could never let them. He broke into a jog, and then run. He needed to find her, and he needed to do it fast.

During his run, his mind began to drift off of the Twilight Clan to Rikku, and then to Gippal, and eventually he ended up thinking of Tifa again. He wanted to drive his past feelings out of him; he wanted to only love Rikku. But deep down he knew that he would always have a special place for Tifa, and although that brought him some comfort, it mainly was tearing him apart. He hated himself for not being able to let go.

"Why does love have to be an attractive bomb?" He stopped, his emotions running haywire. He slumped down on the curb, soaking his pants. He put his hands on his face and began to sob, silently and weakly. He didn't like to cry, and he didn't want anyone else to see him cry, either. He cried, hoping the pain would flow away with his tears. He hoped that by crying, all of his fears, all of his problems, would just melt away. He wanted to love only Rikku, so why did his past affections keep resurfacing. He masked them when they were separated, and then when he traveled to Spira, he was too preoccupied with learning and exploring that he forgot. And Rikku drew most of his attention, and he began to love again. It felt so good then, but now, he wished he had never met Rikku.

"It's… it's all her fault!" He eyes narrowed, and he let his anger fly, "It's all Rikku's fault that I'm here, it's all her fault that I feel so horrible." He began to sob again, troubled by his own words of hatred. He didn't really hate Rikku, he loved her, but it did awfully seem her fault. "It's her fault." He broke out into a torrent of tears.

He was soaking his face with tears while it seemed the world was soaking Cloud with it's own tears. Everything seemed to revolve around hatred, around corruption, around sadness. _Why couldn't people just accept the good things? Why can't we all just be happy, and see everything beautiful?_

He tried to sort his feelings and his thoughts, but he got nowhere. He grew frustrated and screamed. He gave up thinking and continued to walk. He was still on a mission.

The rain stopped and the moon began to shine, a weary traveler's only light. He looked up, hoping it would be able to whisk him away back to his home, and get rid of all his troubles. But he knew nothing would happen, and continued to walk. He was thankful the rain had stopped, but now a cold wind was blowing in. He wished he had some materia with him, but finding none, just shivered. He weighed his options, and decided that wearing soaked clothes wouldn't give him any warmth from the cold breeze. He flung off his shirt, and left it on the ground. His torso was still cold, and he shivered, but at least now he wasn't wet. He flung a small blanket around his shoulders and welcomed its warmth.

Cloud still hadn't found his prey, two Twilight Clan members. He worried that they tricked him, and so now he was the prey. Or perhaps they snuck into a bar or store or hotel. Maybe they had disappeared, or maybe they had reached Rikku. He didn't want to think about it, thinking the worst they would do to her. He started to jog again, and looked around, hoping for a sign to point him in the right direction. He found it.

on>.>.>.>to>.>.>more>.>.>char>.>.>act>.>.>ers>.>.>and>.>.>the>.>.>rest>.>.>of>.>.>the>.>.>fic!

Hakaar opened his eyes as the flash disappeared. He glanced and saw that he was no longer in the safe haven of their room. Now, he was in a dark street, with flickering streetlamps shedding little light. He saw thick, dark storm clouds overhead and prayed the rain would hold off. By looking at the curb and street, he determined that it had just rained and thanked his luck. He looked over his shoulder to see his partner, and was startled to see him walking away. He cursed at himself and then jogged to catch up. Once he did, Jackal just laughed and grinned.

"It took you long enough. You look at too much detail. We want to finish this soon, right?" He motioned his hand towards a building and started walking towards it. Hakaar looked up, not being able to restrain himself, to see where they were headed. He didn't like the looks of it.

On top of the building was a large pink and green neon sign that read, 'The Den'. The lights were falling off and it flickered that it reminded him of a horror story, where the lights flicker on and off, each time staying off a bit longer until it never turns back on. He shivered and looked. Only four of the lights were glowing and so now it read, 'e Den'. He chuckled to himself, swallowed hard, and waltzed in.

The first thing that came to him was the foul odor. The complete club was filled with a haze, an unnatural one. It was created by all the smoked cigars and cigarettes that seemed to fill the place. About half the people there were smoking, and it was beginning to make both of the companions sick. They covered their faces, and wandered until they found a "clean" area, and gasped for air.

"So… filthy… let's hurry…" they gagged to each other. Neither of them could stand the smell or the sting it gave to their eyes. They took a last breath of the halfway decent air and ventured further into the club. Most of the people looked like street punks or gang members. They all seemed dazed and apathetic, as smoking would do to them. A few had heavy bags under their eyes, and others were freakishly pale. The pair couldn't stand to see so many wasted lives, so much destruction and ugliness that they nearly puked. But they were able to hold it in.

As the ventured even further in, as the place seemed to stretch infinitely in all directions, they found it harder to get around. It seemed the back was more crowded, and more and more kids made their way over. The two men were about to find out why.

In the very back were a few things: first, there was a bar, one that was selling alcohol to any poor sap who wandered into here, second, there was a truck full of drugs and cigars back here, free for the taking. About all of the people here were high, or drugged, and were so addicted they couldn't stop themselves. And finally, there were a wall full of booths, and the men could only guess what was behind the curtains. They grew wide-eyed and walked away as fast as they could.

Once they had managed to find the exit, which seemed to talk a good hour, they took at least five minutes refilling their lungs with clean air. They breathed heavily, inhaling and exhaling loudly and exaspertive. They knew they had to go back in there, but neither of them wanted to. They both prayed that miraculously their targets would come out of the doors and be ripe for the taking. They didn't get what they wanted, but something slightly better, a new friend.

As they were talking and gasping for air, a person seemed to notice them and their special attire. He noticed dark full-length robes with symbols on them, and mistook them for members of the Twilight Clan. He yelled, causing the friends to turn around. They saw his sword, and Jackal had enough time to evade the blow. Hakaar was slower and stuck his arms out to defend his face. The sword hit his robe, slicing through, and piercing the skin. The sleeve cut off, and blood dripped from the new wound.

Hakaar tried to hold in his anger, but was losing the fight within himself. Jackal rushed over and soothed his companion, finally coaxing him into submission. He placed his hands tentatively onto the wound and muttered incomprehensible words. A slight glow, and the wound began to heal. Jackal spun around and addressed the attacker, who was standing defensively, waiting for their move.

"Who the hell do you think you are!" he screamed. "What were you thinking! Who are you anyways, just going about chopping people with an oversized butcher knife?" He huffed and began to cool himself down, not wanting to cause unwanted trouble. He stared at the swordsman. "Well?"

"Eh-," he scratched his blonde hair and blushed, "I guess I mistook you guys. I thought you were members of this group I'm trying to kill." He chuckled, trying desperately to lighten the mood. It so eeringly silent and rigid, that a bomb might have gone off, and they wouldn't seem to notice.

Jackal, being a witty fellow, linked the pieces together. He figured this buffoon was hired to kill a pawn of the Twilight Clan. He laughed at himself, and now toyed with the newcomer. "Well, yes, you are mistaken. I believe we're on the same side, but you do owe us, since you sliced my very good friend here. First off, introductions."

"Cloud," he muttered it. He said it so emotionlessly, that it seemed to have no meaning behind it, like it wasn't anything special, but just another word.

"Hakaar, and this is Jackal." He smiled, trying to make the swordsman feel better.

"Next, are you trying to slay the infamous 'Twilight Clan'?" Cloud shot his head up, as if those were magic words. His faced had brightened and he looked anxious and excited. He nodded, now realizing that Jackal had asked him a question.

"Good, now, can you check in there," he pointed towards The Den, "and see if any member is in there. If there is, tell them there's a new mission, outside waiting for them. You can take Hakaar's robe for disguise." Cloud agreed. He sheathed his sword and went over to Hakaar when he heard laughter. All three spun to see an actual clansmen standing not far off.

"Did you really expect it to be that easy? What do you take us for, jokers?" He laughed again, his screech so high, the vibrations hit the ears and caused instant headaches. All three of them reeled over in pain, but recovered and got back up. "Prepare to die fools!"

At that, the robed figure shot his hands towards the heavens and recited an incantation. Power shot from his hand into the clouds, creating a thunderous and resonating _BOOM!_. The blast caused 'snowflakes' to pour down upon them. The flakes were emitting a faint red light and looked like tiny capsules. When they hit the ground, they burst open to reveal shadow-like creatures. Within seconds, the three warriors found themselves surrounded by a strange enemy.

Cloud struck first, slashing at a nearby clump of shadows. His sword cut right through and sliced them in half. The pieces fell to the ground and disintegrated. Hakaar and Jackal took the example. Hakaar took out his pristine battle-axe and charged. He sliced-and-diced countless shadows with one hand while punching with his other. Jackal cast powerful spells to destroy all shadows in its path. They fought valiantly, each slaying hundreds, and then thousands of the shadow creatures. But luck was not to favor them.

The clouds still poured the "power snow" and dozens of shadows sprang from each one. Soon, the trio was back to back, all of them surrounded by a massive circle of shadow. Cloud was sweating, and a few small wounds on his arms and legs. The other two were in better shape and continued to battle on. Cloud heaved and picked up the heavy Buster Sword. He sighed and charged again, ready to take on the next wave of shadow.

They fought like this until daybreak, and with the rising of the sun, the disappearance of the clouds. Although the fiends were not being replenished, there still were millions there. All three needed to rest and sleep, but the adrenaline kept pumping and they kept on fighting. They formed a circle again, all facing countless shadow creatures around them. They wanted to murmur last goodbyes, but didn't want to ruin their rampage. The summoner had disappeared with the night long ago, so they had no chance of catching him. They swore and fought on, determined to defeat the multitude.

As they were about to give their final breaths, as the shadows pressed farther and farther, as the heroes all stood crunched together heaving and sighing, wiping away sweat and blood, they heard a loud cry. They looked up and a group of shadows were wiped out. There stood a warrior, him too brandishing a silver pristine blade. But his handle was shaped like a gun's and he could swing his blade open to reveal rest of his gun. His wielded the legendary Gunblade, and was the hero known simply as Leon.

His long dark brown hair blew in the wind created by his blade. His black leather outfit made him look all the more deadly and intimidating, and the red lion symbol gave him strength. He smiled. "You guys need some help?" He reached out with his gloved hand and lifted each of them up. "We can save the gratitude for later. Right now, we have some Shadows to kill!"

With that, he jumped high into the air, the rising sun silhouetting his body. He fired two shots into the swarm before landing. He swung around, as is dancing, and slew countless shadows. It was a legendary and epic battle, and it was fought gallantly. The four men jumped and kicked, countered and struck, parried and punched, spat and swore, and slew. It was arduous, and Leon was beginning to feel fatigued. He knew that the others couldn't stay fighting much longer, and he was losing his touch too. He wasn't concentrating and a shadow knocked the Gunblade out of his hands, landing in the distance but killing a few shadows along the way. "Damnit."

Leon scurried over to reclaim his weapon, but the mass stopped him. He was left with punching and kicking, which were highly ineffective. He called upon his last resort and summoned a being of immense power.

A red beam shot from Leon and formed into a dog-like form. He had wily red fur and humanlike muscles. The form flew into the sky, releasing an earsplitting screech. It then put its fists together and formed a giant fiery ball. He took his hands and slammed it into the mob of black, and formed a huge smoldering, flaming circle. The summoning took a lot of strength from Leon, but his used this time to snatch his Gunblade back. His continued to hack and slash, hoping this would end.

Leon was knocked down, and next to him was an injured Cloud. The shadows were swarming him, trying to create scratches all over his body. His entire outfit was torn, with a few shreds left of his pants. Leon crawled over and knocked the shadows off him. Cloud was breathing fine, but all of the scratches were bleeding. Leon applied some quick medicine to him and stood up, ready to protect his friend.

He sliced through the blood hungry shadows but was beginning to get overwhelmed. He was about to be knocked over himself when a lunging shadow was killed. He opened his eye to see a glistening shuriken stuck in the ground in front of him. He looked up, and saw two females on top of a building. "Yuffie," he smiled. '_Thank goodness for endless amounts of friends.'_ Yuffie jumped off, her hair and clothes billowing in the wind. She landed somewhat gracefully, landing on top of her favorite warrior, Leon.

"O Squall! You're okay! I was so worried!" Leon wanted to tell Yuffie again not to call him Squall, but now wasn't the time. Leon stood up, with Yuffie still on and muttered his appreciation. "I love you." He bent over and kissed his new bride. "Now, let's kick ass!"

Yuffie flipped, kicked, and flung ninja stars everywhere, stopping the shadows in their tracks. Leon was rejuvenated and attacked with new passion.

Cloud got up and began to fend off the shadows, as well. As he sliced one down he noticed an orange monkey scurrying around. He was a little surprised and remembered him, Ghiki. The light bulb clicked, and he realized Rikku was here as well. He called for her, but couldn't see her. He looked up, and saw a robed figure flying through the sky, screaming and flailing her limbs. She fell on top of two shadows and knocked them over. She blushed and smiled. "Oopsies! Oh well, we won't miss you!"

She stood up and ordered Ghiki to pester some more shadows. She looked up and saw Cloud. She blushed again, seeing him in basically shorts. She ran over and hugged him, and nearly knocked them over. They hugged, telling eachother how they were worried, how they felt better, and how they loved eachother. They kissed briefly and resumed to the battle.

Rikku realized that Ghiki wasn't enough to defeat the shadows, so she sphere changed. She began to glow, and all the shadows around her cringed and stop moving. Ghiki glowed too and then disappeared. Rikku stopped and swung her claw at the nearby shadow, tearing it to shreds. Rikku was in her Berserker dress sphere, which gave her amazing agility and strength. She flipped, rolled, somersaulted, and ran around the battlefield, clawing the shadows. She jumped up and howled, striking fear into the fiends. She took this brief moment to hack away and slay them all.

All six of the companions now formed a mini circle with eachother, and the shadows around them. They still seemed to be endless, and all of the fighters were tired. They wouldn't give up, but the fight seemed almost hopeless. They all looked at the others with sad eyes and breathed. This was a fight they weren't going to lose. They were fight till they exterminated them all.


	9. IX: A Game of Numbers

Sorry that it's taking forever to update. I had some power outages, family come up, major cleaning, and faulty plumbing, so I've had my hands full. I'm going to try to update more frequent. Well, here it is, chapter 9.

* * *

**Chapter 9: A Game of Numbers**

The party was outnumbered vastly, and they were becoming fatigued. They only defended themselves now, not having enough strength to attack directly. A Shadow leaped and slashed at Leon, cutting his sleeve and flesh. Leon immediately fell to the ground and he clasped his hand over the new wound. He winced in pain and shut his eyes. He hoped someone would come and rescue him from the oncoming Shadows. He braced for the strike, and thankfully, it never came. He saw a flash of light through his closed eyes, and when it ended, he opened them. He saw that the Shadows that had been surrounding him now were obliterated. He still clutched his shoulder, but he had enough vigor to stand up.

He looked around him, and saw more patches of ground, places where the flashes had impacted and destroyed. He thanked his luck and searched wildly for Yuffie. His eyes scanned full circle, but all he could see was a sea of darkness. He hated the Heartless. They ravaged and destroyed, and since they were a new threat, no one knew how to cope with them. And unlike fiends, Heartless were innumerable. He didn't understand though. Sora had locked the final Keyhole a few years ago. So why were the Heartless back? He shook the thought and concentrated on more important things, like defeating the Shadows and finding Yuffie.

Cloud and Rikku were both injured as well. Cloud's previous wounds were hurting again, and so Cloud doubled over in pain. Rikku scurried to help him, but was caught off guard. A Shadow has scratched her left leg, leaving three long gashes. Rikku squealed in pain and immediately sliced the enemy's head off. She then grabbed her leg, trying to stop the blood. She managed to crawl over to Cloud's body with her injury. She rolled over and landed on top of him; the only way she could protect him, she reasoned.

Cloud just smiled and wrapped his arms around her. He was grateful for the warmth and protection and he kissed her. Rikku was caught off guard again, but this time it wasn't bad. She giggled and kissed him back, leaving her lips there for a few minutes. She savored the pleasure, and she loved Cloud's reactions. She loved his adorable smile, and wished he always was happy. She pulled back and watched his lips turn into her favorite smile. She laughed, and he gave her a questioning look. Rikku just laughed harder.

"Here, for my most adorable man," and she gave him a Hi-Potion. Cloud murmured his thanks and sat up, causing Rikku to slide down a bit. Cloud reached for his Buster Sword, and took the bandages and ripped some of them off. He wrapped them gently, yet firmly, around Rikku's injured leg. "Better?" and he pecked her cheek. He then stood up fully, causing Rikku to flop on the ground. She picked herself up and nodded. They then turned towards the swarm and began the onslaught yet again.

They fought together, each defending the other and shouting encouragement. They fought mainly back to back, to protect themselves easier. Soon, they were surrounded and out of ideas. "Now what?" Cloud muttered beneath his breath, as if he didn't want the Shadows to overhear him. Rikku thought quickly and then leaped into the air. The Shadows swarmed the now defenseless Cloud. He looked up and shouted, "Thanks a lot! Just abandon me!"

He tried to fight them off, but they jumped onto him and clung on. He couldn't shake them off, and if he tried to slice them, he ran the risk of hitting himself. He prayed Rikku had a plan and that it worked. Thankfully, it did.

Just as he was pulled to the ground and all he could see was black, a blazing heat shot overhead, burning the Shadows to crisps. He blinked and saw a very attractive witch beside him. He got up and smiled again. He ran over and hugged Rikku, who dropped her staff to hug him back. Rikku pushed off after a few seconds and picked up her staff.

"We have to fight, remember?" she said matter-of-factly. Cloud laughed softly and nodded. That's what he loved about Rikku, her free spirit. They had a new strategy now, and it worked well. Cloud would guard Rikku, slaying any daring Shadows that got too close. And Rikku would strike them down from a distance with her black magic spells.

They kept fighting, with their new strategy in hand. After about half an hour of battle, they noticed a break in the fight. No more Shadows seemed to attacking them. They scanned around, and all the Shadows had disappeared from their sight. They shrugged, and accepting the victory, embraced again.

Cloud placed his lips on Rikku, and they shared a kiss. Cloud dared to go further, and snuck his tongue into her mouth. Cloud could feel Rikku laughing, and he chuckled to himself. He rubbed his hands along her back; soothing her and making him feel better as well. He kept moving until he reached her butt. He hesitated, but then continued. As he did, Rikku pulled away before he felt anything. She looked at him fake angrily and taunted, "No, no, no. We don't play like that, do we? No! Bad Cloud."

She lightly slapped his face, but as she did, Cloud grabbed her hand and pulled in down to their side. "Yes, we do." He fake pouted and snuggled his nose on hers, making her giggle. He then placed his lips on hers for a brief moment. "C'mon, we have to find the others, right?" The couple left, holding hands, off to find their friends.

* * *

Leon was able to find Yuffie, who quickly healed his wound. Leon thanked her with a quick kiss and then resumed their fight. They fought in a similar fashion as Rikku and Cloud. Leon defended Yuffie, who chucked shuriken at distant enemies. The strategy work well for this couple as well. But the Shadows kept advancing and soon, they were surrounded. Leon would slash a few down, but more would replace it. They were stuck, confined to small circle. Yuffie was worried and grew panicky. "Don't show them you're afraid," Leon said calmly, "just stay calm. If they know you're afraid, they'll prey upon it."

He went over and stood next to her, to soothe her panic. He placed his hand on her shoulder. "It's going to alright. I promise." Yuffie smiled and began to worry less. But even still, they were completely trapped, and there was almost no hope of them escaping.

But, as if to prove their ominous thoughts wrong, multiple shots flew from the sky, hitting the advancing Shadows closest to the couple. Yuffie screamed and flung herself in Leon for protection. He embraced her, trying to calm her. He looked up as the dust cleared, and saw a faint figure in the horizon on top of a building. He thanked luck again and hoped it wouldn't run out any time soon.

The figure fired another round, destroying more Heartless, and scaring them a bit further away. He then leaped, his clothes billowing in the wind. He landed on the Heartless, knocking a few unconscious. He dusted himself off and seeing people, walked over. He grinned and stuck out his hand. "Gippal, pleasure to meet you."

Leon glared at him, wondering if this was the same guy who ruined the wedding party. Yuffie didn't seem to mind, and glad to be safe again, shook his hand. She responded with, "Yuffie, the ninja, and Leon, my husband." She pecked his cheek and clung to his hand. Leon smiled, and decided to give Gippal another chance. "Thanks."

He averted his gaze back to the looming threat, the Shadows. Leon flung out his Gunblade and swung it in the air, catching the sun's beams and reflecting them into the horde of darkness. He smirked and charged. Yuffie ran after him, giant shuriken in hand. They hacked and slashed the Heartless and continued the gruesome battle.

Gippal was a bit surprised. He didn't expect them to hurl themselves into the danger. But then he remembered himself, and it didn't shock him as much. Gippal took his massive gun and fired around, killing the Heartless around the battle engaged couple.

After about a quarter of an hour, the Shadows seemed to recede, and there was a lull in the fight. Seeing no more Hearltess, they decided to take a break. Leon lay down to restore some of his strength, and Yuffie lay diagonal him, with her head resting on his chest.

Gippal stood watch, making sure that the Shadows didn't ambush them. But, as far as he could see, there was no threat. Gippal slackened his watch, and rested too. His head felt a little heavy and he closed his eyes, which made him feel better. He yawned, and before he could stop himself, he fell asleep.

Leon and Yuffie were cuddling together, oblivious that Gippal had snoozed off. They rubbed noses together and laughed. They hadn't felt this giddy since they were first dating. Leon pecked Yuffie's mouth and snuggled closer to her. Yuffie smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. Her eyes started blinking heavily, and they shut. A few minutes later, Yuffie was sleeping. Leon chuckled to himself. He then rested his head on her, and fell asleep soon after.

* * *

Hakaar and Jackal were in the worst shape. The highest percentage of the Heartless swarmed them. And, since they were foreign to these worlds, they couldn't figure out exactly what they were or the best way to defeat them. In their world, enemies were created by a mystical generator, something that used magic to replenish fallen enemies. Once it was destroyed, the creatures would grow weaker. But the Heartless seemed to spring from the very ground, and so the duo was utterly confused.

They eventually decided just to slice down as many Heartless as they could. Hakaar ran around furiously, as if enraged, and sliced Shadows down mercilessly. Jackal used his mastery of magic to halt advancements and then incinerate them. But even with their immense power, the Shadows seemed to keep coming. Eventually they were swarmed and couldn't fightand the Shadows overtook them. They were clawed and slashed, and each Shadow added a new wound.

Finally, Hakaar grew into a bloodlust and his eyes flared up into bonfires. He took his axe and muttered ancient words. Suddenly, a red glow shot out of his axe and formed into a giant figure brandishing an axe as well. He seemed to resemble Hakaar, but was about ten times larger. The red spirit swung his axe, killing the Shadows immediately next to the duo, and then it flung its axe, killing all the Heartless in its path. It then disappeared as quickly as it came.

Hakaar slumped over, fatigued from the battle and severely wounded. Jackal was in despair. His best friend was about to die, and he couldn't do anything about it. He only knew offensive magic, so he couldn't even heal him. Jackal went over and helped Hakaar up. If he was going to die, he mine as well die by his friend. Jackal let out a wail and tried to fight back tears. He was hurting all over, and he was so helpless. Hakaar was just a limp body, full of cuts that bled profusely, even now at his death. The blood oozed out, all over Jackal and the ground. He couldn't hold it in and he broke down crying.

The pair stayed there for the rest of the day. Jackal put down his friend and then turned to face the Shadows. His eyes were yellow slits now, and his face was angered. He looked at all of them and muttered words to a spell. All of the Heatless, Hakaar, and Jackal were engulfed in a sphere of white light. Jackal shouted at the top of his lungs and the spell was complete. All of the Heartless were destroyed instantly, and Jackal and Hakaar joined them. After the light faded, nothing was left.

* * *

Cloud and Rikku were walking, looking for Heartless or their friends, when they heard an ear-splitting cry. They turned to where it came from and dashed towards it. They saw the giant orb of light and Jackal in the center. They saw the dead Hakaar and Rikku buried her face into Cloud's chest. He turned away, not able to watch this kamikaze. They felt the flash, and a thunderous boom that followed. They opened their eyes to see nothing left, and Rikku began to cry. Cloud tried to comfort her as he cried to calm himself. Rikku sniffled her tears and bit her lip.

"C'mon, we should find Leon and Yuffie." The couple left the battlefield. They could see the wind blow, as the earth was so desolate. They hoped that Hakaar and Jackal would go to a better place. Little did they know that they would, but a place for the living, not the dead.

Gippal aroused when he heard the clatter of walking feet. First he dove to the ground, and then he lifted his head to see who it was. Lucky for him, it was Rikku, and not more Heartless. He sighed in relief and picked himself up. Rikku let out a short squeal when she saw Gippal seemingly appear out of the ground. When she recognized him, she let out a sigh as well.

"How did you get here?" Gippal responded with his story, starting from the wedding, to the murder of the Twilight Clan member, to the rescuing of Leon and Yuffie. Rikku was impressed. He was but a total stranger, and yet he cared for her and her friends so much. She liked that in a man, a sensitive caring side. She wished Cloud was a little more like that.

"Well, Rikku, what brings you here?" Rikku snapped out of her thoughts and told her story. She still got goose bumps when she told of the despicable haunted town. "Oh, that reminds me," Rikku added, "CLOUD! I FOUND THEM!" Gippal covered his ears. "Nice voice you got there." He then turned and headed back to tell Leon and Yuffie.

Cloud had decided for him and Rikku to split up, so they could find the newly weds faster. If they found them or something startling, they were to scream. So, when he was having no luck, and then Rikku shouted, he hopped for joy. He turned and ran towards the voice, hoping she wasn't in danger.

When he got there, he saw Rikku looking off into the distance, dreaming of something. He smirked and asked, "Dreaming of me?" He then wrapped his arms around her waist and swung her around. He pecked her lips and then asked, "So, where are the bride and groom?"

Rikku pulled out of his embrace and pointed in the distance. She then began to run down it, and that left Cloud with only one option: to follow. They ran, then jogged, and still finding nothing, began to walk. Rikku was distressed. '_Wasn't this the way Gippal was headed to tell Leon and Yuffie?' _Cloud just followed Rikku, waiting for Leon and Yuffie to pop up. They walked for another five minutes and with still no luck, decided to turn around.

"Maybe we ran past them." So, they began the long walk back to where they had started.

Gippal had found Leon and Yuffie; they were to the right of the path. He woke them up and told them about Rikku and Cloud, and how they were coming. But when no one showed up for ten minutes, they began to worry. Leon decided to stay where he was. No way was he going to go on a wild goose chase. Yuffie volunteered to find them, and Gippal said he would stay by Leon, but on the main path. This way, they were certain to find the couple.

Yuffie was the one to spot Cloud and Rikku. She dashed over, waving her arms excitedly. Cloud and Rikku looked over to see the crazed ninja. Rikku let go and ran to hug Yuffie. They let go, and Yuffie led the way to their 'hideout'. Gippal saw the three coming and told Leon. He smirked and rolled over, trying to fall back asleep. The three arrived and decided to wake him up. Leon growled at them, but besides that, everything was okay.

"So now what?" Cloud asked. Rikku didn't know and she just clung on to him. Yuffie shrugged her shoulders, and Leon looked at the ground. Gippal seemed to be thinking of something. His head brightened as he thought of an idea. "Hey, Cloud, do you know a person named Tifa?"

Cloud looked up, puzzlement, confusion, and happiness filling his face. "Tifa, Tifa Lockheart?"

Gippal nodded. "Yah, she was looking for you, asking everyone if they'd heard of you. No one knew then, but now…" He trailed off, talking about his buddies. They all looked at him, especially Cloud. They wanted him to finish. "O right. Sorry. Anyways, she owns a bar, why don't we go?"

The two couples nodded, since they were bored, and they need something to do. Cloud was urging to go; he wanted to see her again, to look into her eyes and apologize. He wanted to share his feelings, and to make everything back to normal. But he could never go back, not after he had met Rikku and they had shared so many memories. He was torn between the two girls that he loved. And did Tifa still love him. He wanted to go, to find out how she felt, but he also wanted to shy away, afraid of the worst outcomes.

The couples went, walking down the streets, following Gippal. They finally reached the place so looked forward to, and so dreaded: the bar. Seventh Heaven.


	10. X: Hidden Feelings

**Chapter 10: Hidden Feelings**

Tifa Lockhart was a young woman, only twenty-one years old. After she and AVALANCE had saved their world, the group split up to live their life's dreams. Tifa went back to Midgar, and kept up her bar. She kept wishing the he would come to her, that he would want to spend the rest of his life with her. But he didn't. She found out later that Cloud had disappeared. When she went to find out what happened, she met Gippal, and their friendship started.

Gippal went on to explain his history with Tifa, landing in Midgar and befriending her. They tried endlessly to build an airship, and when they did, it was able to travel through worlds. Eventually the two landed here, on Ravoa. They started up a new bar, and a new life.

Tifa was mad and depressed over Cloud's disappearance. She wanted to be with him, she loved the man, and he couldn't even tell. She decided to give up, and gave up hope that Cloud would reappear and everything would be as it should be. She became attracted to Gippal for the same reasons she liked Cloud: cockiness, blond hair, muscular physique, and sense of humor. Tifa couldn't put her finger on it, but Gippal seemed to have something Cloud didn't, something that made him all the more attractive. And so, after being in Midgar for a week, the two began to date.

It was a melancholy time for both of them. Tifa was in a sense just breaking up. Gippal had received massive amnesia, and not remembering Rikku or Spira, jumped at a chance to date. Tifa was older, so it hit his ego a bit, but Gippal grew to get over it. Tifa wanted to leave her home world behind, wanting to explore and to take on new adventures. But her secret motive, even sometimes eluding herself, was to find Cloud. Despite the heartache he gave her, and her new love with Gippal, Tifa was still madly in love him. She tried to forget about him, she tried to replace him with other men, but her mind always wandered back to her blond mercenary.

**- …- …- …- **

The five of them arrived at the bar, Seventh Heaven, and were awestruck. The building was huge, easily two or three stories high. It was cleaned up, too. It wasn't a dump like most of the buildings here, or like Tifa's previous bar in Midgar. They had left that world completely, all of its cities, troubles, friends, and memories. At least, she was trying to forget her memories of her home.

Gippal announced the place and opened the doors for the two couples. Leon walked in, not saying or doing anything. Yuffie thanked him for both of them and jogged to catch up with her husband. Rikku smiled at Gippal, still unsure of her own feelings for him, and Cloud thanked him quietly. Gippal scooted in behind them, and then ran to the front, so as to properly introduce them.

The inside was more magnificent that its out. There was a giant counter, stretching an entire side and a half of wall space. In the center was a wooden stage, with plush violet curtains. A sign was carved into the wall behind it, and illuminated by lights. It was the bar's namesake. To the left side were bathrooms, side rooms, and more tables and chairs for those who wanted to sit and talk.

The place was an amazing, and Cloud wished he was here to build it with her. He still loved Tifa, he could sense it. But how could he break it to Rikku, and did Tifa still love him? And, enlightened by recent news, how would Gippal, her boyfriend, take it? He tried to shake the thoughts out of his head, hoping that their past feelings wouldn't surface.

The five walked down the right side, looking at the amazing bar. Gippal squatted himself on a stool and motioned for the couples to come and sit. Leon called, so as someone was bound to hear his order, and ordered two beers. He figured someone else could use one, and if not, that meant more for him. Cloud took up Leon's offer, and the two toasted to his new life. Yuffie and Rikku were on the other side of Gippal, murmuring about who knows what. Leon cast a sly glance over, trying to figure out what they were saying.

"Hey, didn't anyone ever tell you that it's not polite to stare?" Leon looked up, and almost dropped the beer out of his hand. He blinked and resumed to his normal cool composure. He didn't want to make a bad impression now. The female bartender winked at him and shrugged. "I guess no one told you how to speak, either." Leon chuckled softly, trying to ease the embarrassment. He was slightly blushing, but with the dim lights it wasn't noticeable.

Cloud, slightly drunk now since he gets drunk easily, called out rather stupidly to defend his friend. "Hey, that's not how you should speak to him. He's a…" The female bartender interrupted before he could finish.

"Cloud? Is that, you?" Cloud blinked a few hard times, and rocked back and then forward. He squinted and gasped. He flung his beer, and the mug landed on Gippal's head. The beer oozed down his hair and face, covering him in a brownish sticky mess. He glared at Cloud and left to wash himself off. Cloud yelled out, trying to reconcile, "At least now you have a cool crown!" He laughed quietly, not trying to insult Gippal but doing so.

"Cloud, you've changed. A lot." Tifa set her hands down on the counter, as if she needed to say something serious. "I don't know where to begin."

Leon, waiting for a comeback, responded for them. "How about at the beginning." Seeing that no one laughed at his joke, Leon muttered to himself and went off to go assist Gippal.

"I thought you had died! And you've been here the whole time? And you've never stopped in until now! Cloud, how could you? I can't believe-"

"Well I can't believe that you won't let him stand up for himself." Rikku was a little annoyed by this Tifa, and she wasn't going to let her push her drunken boyfriend around. "Me and Cloud got here only two days ago, we came for the wedding." The wedding was implied as if there was only one wedding, and it was of upmost significance.

Tifa placed her hands over her hips and stared at Rikku. "Who do you think you are? I grew up with Cloud, so I think that gives me more right to push him around then you do." Tifa tried to be calm most of the time, but some people just ticked her off too much.

Rikku was getting very aggravated. "Well I'm his girlfriend, so I know the current Cloud, not whoever you knew before he came to Spira, kay? So that gives me more right." Tifa was taken back by the outburst. _'Cloud is dating this chick? His taste has really plummeted.'_ Tifa looked at Rikku, a little red from shouting. She glanced over at the dark-haired woman sitting next to Rikku. She seemed familiar, but she couldn't place from where. She then looked over at her once friend, once idol, and once lover: Cloud. He was extremely hunched over, his head resting on the bar counter. He held his beer in his right hand, and his left hand swayed back and forth. Tifa easily knew Cloud was drunk, and decided to help Rikku out a bit.

"Excuse me. I'm sorry that I yelled at you." Tifa was going for the innocent girl act. Rikku didn't buy it, but Tifa continued. "Well, Cloud here is obviously drunk. You might want to get him somewhere safe and isolated. He tends to get reckless when he's wasted."

Rikku giggled and looked at Tifa with sincere eyes, as if they might be able to make up. "Like he isn't reckless already?"

As she was finishing her sentence, Gippal and Leon returned from the bathroom. Gippal's hair was drenched in water, and it seeped all over the collar of his shirt. Leon's arms were soaked as well. The dark haired warrior sat down, rather agitated by what happened. He slumped down and ordered another beer.

Gippal, on the other hand, went over next to Tifa and kissed her. He smiled and jumped the counter. "Such a lovely lady shouldn't have to work." Tifa half-smiled. He was being extremely polite, but he wasn't like this normally. Something was up, and she wanted to know.

"Well thank you, Gippal." She put the innocent girl act on again. Men never seemed to notice when girls put on fake attitudes. She jumped onto the counter, sat down, pivoted on her butt, and swirled around so now she faced the rest of the bar. She kept sliding and landed on a seat between Rikku and Cloud. She looked over at Cloud, hoping to talk to him about what had happened during the past year, but he was out cold. So, she swung the other way and went to talk to Rikku. _'Perhaps she can help me find out what's changed about him.'_

Rikku, unfortunately, had other ideas. She was going to talk to Yuffie the whole night. She didn't even recognize that Tifa was sitting there. Tifa found it extremely rude, and decided to tick Rikku off even more. She finally, after much effort and patience, got Cloud sober enough to walk outside with her.

They exited the bar, and a cold breeze came upon them. Tifa shivered, her outfit not providing much warmth. She cuddled into Cloud's arms and immediately felt the heat seep in. Tifa grabbed his hand instinctively. When she realized what she was doing, she began to let go, but then decided against it. She liked being with Cloud, it just felt so right. She was sure Cloud felt the same way, and she figured now was the perfect time to ask him. Cloud was still slightly drunk, but he was conscious enough to talk.

The two sat down on a wooden bench. Tifa snuggled next to her lover, and laid her head on his shoulder. Cloud accepted the hug, and snuggled up to Tifa. He was unable to discern who was next to him, but he really didn't mind. He liked the company.

Tifa just stayed there, snuggling and hugging Cloud. The more she advanced on to him, the more she realized how much she really did miss him. Gippal was a good boyfriend, but her love for Cloud was unmatched. She decided to seize the moment.

She leaned in towards his face, smelling a distant scent of alcohol. It didn't stop her, she was used to its odor by now. She kept going and lightly kissed his quivering lips. She backed away slightly, to see his reaction. He didn't seem to resist, so she continued. She began to just kiss him longer, and then inched her tongue slowly into his mouth. Next, she wrapped her arms around him and began kissing him all over the face. She slid over so now she was sitting on his lap. They began to kiss more passionately, Cloud now not just accepting kisses. Cloud ran his fingers down Tifa's back, feeling her delicate skin. Tifa had begun kissing his lower lip, and pressed her body onto his.

Then, as immediately as she had led on to him, she slid off and stopped. She wanted to continue, and do even more, but a slight sense of guilt hung over her. She was with Gippal, and he could give her this as well, and Cloud wasn't in full consciousness, his real feelings might not be the same as they were then. But she wanted them to be, and she believed that if she hoped long and hard enough, it would become reality. She got up, fixing her hair as it blew in the slight breeze. She looked over at Cloud, who was lost in deep thought. She laughed at this, and walked back into the bar. She was going to let Rikku be with Cloud. It just wasn't meant to be.

When Tifa was advancing onto Cloud outside, Rikku was scheming herself inside. She too, like Tifa, had a longing passion to be with another man. Where as Tifa wanted Cloud, Rikku wanted Gippal. She felt the same pang of guilt as the bar owner did, but she decided to act against it. Gippal was by himself, sitting a few seats away from the three of them. Rikku got up, not sure herself what she might do, and sat next to Gippal. She loved this man, but he had not an inkling who she was. It tore her up, and so she decided to try to remind him.

She first asked him bluntly if he remembered her. He chuckled and he told her about the wedding. Rikku smiled at his joke and but told him before then, before they had met on Ravoa. She tried to see if he remembered anything before he met Tifa, but Gippal shook his head. Rikku told him all about the Al Bhed, Home, Spira, and Bikanel Island, but he remembered none of it. Disheartened, she just lost control and just did something she never planned on doing.

She lightly twittled her fingers and placed them on his. He seemed oblivious, so she continued. She wove her tiny fingers with his masculine ones, and held on dearly. She swiveled her chair and swung his as well, so they faced eachother. She longingly looked into his eyes, hoping he would remember her. Nothing sparked, and she looked down, heartbroken again. She blinked, wiping away the beginnings of tears and looked up again to see a more interested Al Bhed. She smiled internally and closed her eyes, hoping this wasn't a dream. She inched forward, hesitant but determined. She met something- something soft and wet- and began examining it with her tongue. Her tongue rolled over and around his mouth, finally discovering what it was. She then found a small opening, and pried it open. She was greeted with another similarly wet object: Gippal's tongue. They kissed, their tongues weaving with eachother. Rikku loved the thrill this gave her, and all thoughts of guilt forgotten. She was living in this moment, this passionate and wonderful moment.

She was awoken from her thoughts by a loud and short "Hmph." Rikku opened her eyes, her tongue still inside of Gippal's mouth. Tifa was standing over them, and Rikku saw he flames erupting in her eyes. She withdrew her tongue, but otherwise was petrified on the spot. Gippal was equally afraid, assuming Tifa would blame him for the incident. But as they braced for yelling or hitting, they noticed the flames beginning to die down. Tifa seemed to be recalling something that was calming her. She still looked annoyed, but not mad.

Rikku muttered an apology and left the bar as fast as she could. She found Cloud still on the bench, and rushed to him for warmth and comfort. She snuggled up next to him, just as Tifa had done only a few minutes ago. She began to cry, realizing what she had done. Cloud tried to comfort her, not sure why she was crying or why he was outside.

Eventually, Rikku calmed down and with remnants of tears in her eyes, looked at Cloud. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. I… it… just… so good…" she muttered between gulps and cries. Cloud was still oblivious to what she had done, and rubbed her back, and began talking to her, trying desperately to calm her down. He eventually won, and snuggled with her on the bench. He kissed her forehead and decided the press the matter.

"Now, what happened? And please, no more crying." Rikku nodded, still unsure of how to retell her story. She finally gulped, and told him everything that had happened since they entered the bar.

Cloud was slightly angry at Rikku, and it grew as she continued. Also, his anger grew towards Gippal as well. But as she finished and began to cry yet again, Cloud knew yelling wasn't going to help. He tried to stay calm while he soothed her again, still thinking about her story. It greatly upset him that Rikku could so easily cheat on him. And if she had done it now, had she done it before? But then he recalled hazily his own slip with Tifa earlier that day. He didn't even feel guilty about it all, and yet he was so quick to strike at Rikku. He grumbled, fuming about his own arrogance and stupidity. Rikku unfortunately mistook his anger to be about her, and quickly got up. She wiped away her tears and looked at Cloud, anger and resentment filling her eyes.

"I have to go. I know how you feel. I'm so sorry." And with that, Rikku ran off into the alleyways. Cloud tried to chase after her, but found his body too lethargic to do so. He swore and sat back. He buried his head into his hands and began to sob. What had he gotten himself into now?


	11. XI: Snowflakes and Shadows

Sorry about not updating often. I moved into a townhouse, which didn't have Internet, so I could not update from about October 7th to November 20th. Then, I didn't get the Internet at my new house till about mid-December. Unfortunately, then this computer basically died, so I couldn't use it. It's working now… but I couldn't update since all of my fics were on another computer, which didn't' have the Internet. So, sorry it's taking forever, but I'm trying!

I've been really busy with school and all that jazz, so the thinking juices haven't been really flowing either. Hopefully, I'll be able to bounce out of this slump and update often. If you have any ideas, please tell me!

Thank you to randomcat20, Yiya91, and HypernatedRikku, who seem to be the only ones still following this story. The support is gladly appreciated!

And now, on with the fic!

**Chapter 11: Snowflakes and Shadows**

Yuffie was in the bar with her husband Leon, Gippal, and an angry Tifa. She didn't really like the idea of coming here from the start, but she didn't want to spoil their fun. Now that things were obviously getting worse, she decided it was time for her and Leon to leave. She thanked Tifa for the drinks and paid for everyone. She left, her arm wrapped around Leon's. She leaned her head onto his shoulder and hoped that they never ended up like the two dysfunctional couples. She couldn't believe how her best friend could so easily kiss another man. The more she thought about it, the worse she felt, and so she stopped. The couple reached their wedding hall. They apologized to all of their guests about the disruption. They all accepted it; some were more sincere than others. Tired, the newlyweds climbed into their airship and readied it for launch. Yuffie said a silent prayer for Rikku, and the two whisked off into the infinity of space.

Rikku was ready to kill herself. She had done the most childish thing she could remember doing, and it was destroying everything she had worked so hard on making. She couldn't see why she just gave in to Gippal, forgetting everything about Cloud. In those brief seconds when they were kissing, Rikku felt so happy, so good inside— almost complete. Everything she had done with Cloud over their relationship was forgotten, and all Rikku could think of was Gippal.

Tears rolled down her face, making her face feel clammy. She squinted her eyes to stop the tears, but they kept coming. She licked her lips and tasted her salty sadness. Nothing she did ever worked out right. Everyone she loved had died or rejected her. And, when she had found the one person who didn't, she went and blew it. She hated herself. All of her sadness, all of her anger, and all of her frustration clouded up her mind. She reasoned the best way to solve things would be to disappear. By herself, she would live. Then, she wouldn't be able to hurt anyone; her love would never be able to cut anyone else again. The tears kept falling, and she sniffled.

She slumped to the ground and rubbed her arms. It was cold out and she wished she owned a jacket. She half-smiled through her crying when she remembered how Cloud had given her his jacket one time when they were on the snowy mountains of Mt. Gagazet. But her smile melted away as she thought of Cloud. She knew he hated her, that he would never want to see her face again, and she wailed more.

By living alone, she not only would avoid hurting others, but she would avoid others hurting her.

She sniffled once more, and stood up. She began walking down the street, hoping not to bump into anyone. The last thing she needed was more people. Rikku was done with being social. Relationships only ended in pain and misery. She thought of her friend, Paine. She hid all her emotions inside, and she seemed fine. Rikku decided she was going to be like Paine; she was going to mask her feelings and live in solitude. She wouldn't let anyone get close; it was too risky.

Rikku walked down the street, planning where she would go and what she would do, when a white crystal fell on her scarf. She looked at it and smiled a melancholy grin. It was snowing. She continued her walk, and the snow continued to drift down gracefully. It danced down to the stone ground, only to melt away. Rikku was that snowflake; she had danced joyfully throughout her life, and now it was her time to melt.

* * *

Cloud was still thinking when a snowflake fell onto him. He looked up, and his face was greeted by tinges of cold. He smirked, and stuck out his tongue. He waited at least five minutes before he was able to catch one on his tongue. He tasted it and spat it out. Snowflakes were definitely overrated. Cloud knew that Rikku was in disarray, but he never would have imagined what she was doing. He knew he needed to go after her, but he felt drawn to the bar. He didn't know if it was Tifa, or if it was Gippal. Did he need to say no, or did he need to apologize. But, if he went inside, he would lose precious time on finding Rikku. But, sitting on a bench and being covered in snow isn't being productive either, so he stood up, brushed himself, and walked into the Seventh Heaven. 

Tifa and Gippal were the only two in the bar; Yuffie and Leon had left while Cloud was deep in thought. The lights were all off except for the few by the bar stools where the couple stood. They had failed to notice him, so he coughed. The two spun around, Gippal showing a face of horror, and Tifa one of shock and almost relief. Gippal stood up, frightened, and began to apologize to Cloud. He stuck his finger out to silence him.

The blonde warrior looked into Tifa's eyes. He saw the swirling brown around the black sphere in the center. He faintly made out his own blue eyes in the reflection. But that was it. It was just a brown eye. He sighed, not too sure himself why, and began to walk away. Tifa called for him, shouting at him to come back. But Cloud couldn't hear her, he had his mind focused on one thing only. Gippal tried to apologize again, but by the time he finished, Cloud had run out the door and not heard a word. The two looked at eachother, Gippal feeling relieved and Tifa angered.

The air had gotten much colder since his short break indoors, but he ignored it. Nothing was going to stop him from his mission: to get Rikku back. He ran through the snow, having to shield his eyes for short periods. He hoped Rikku hadn't wandered far, and that she had stayed on a straight path. If not, Cloud was going to have difficulty finding his true love. He breathed out, the air making a cloud in front of him. He began running again, shouting out Rikku's name.

* * *

Rikku had inadvertently stumbled into a town market place. And with all the shops, she found people. They all seemed so happy, and most people seemed paired off. It made Rikku's stomach knot. "Why should they deserve to be so happy?" Rikku kept thinking over and over. In the distance she heard music and thought she heard singing. "More gaiety," she thought, "just what I need." Through the chatter of the passerbys and the faint music, she thought someone was yelling her name. She would look up, hoping to see Cloud, but seeing him nowhere, she would feel even more depressed than before. After about four times, she refused even to look up. 

She passed by a window and double-backed. Something had caught her eye. In the window were many dolls and figurines. All of them were dressed up in long coats and scarves, and each was adorned with rosy cheeks and childish smiles. Despite her previous hate of cheeriness, these did make her feel better. She walked in, and immediately felt better. It was warm in here, and it smelled delicious. Something was baking, and there were fresh flowers ornamented throughout the store. She shook her hair free of snow and gazed at the toys and goods around her.

She smiled for the first time in a while and walked towards the center. When she got there she let out a huge gasp, in the center was a giant tree. It was decorated with fake snow and jewels. At the top, and hanging in strings wrapping around the giant tree, were snowflakes. They looked to be made out of glass, or crystal, and Rikku admired the rainbows they created throughout the ceiling.

"Excuse me, why is there a big tree with snowflakes on it inside a building?" The man she asked seemed repulsed and continued walking, looking back and shaking his head a few times. Curious, she asked a lady who walked by. She responded the same way and continued her shopping.

Saddened, she sat down on a chair and began pouting. All of her bad feelings were coming back, and she began to cry again. She felt someone sit down next to her, and she wiped her tears. She looked over and saw a little girl no older than twelve. She smiled, admiring her pretty outfit. It definitely matched everything else in here.

"Why are you crying, missus?" the little girl asked. Rikku smiled, remembering what started it all.

"I just wanted to know about that tree," she pointed at the giant tree offhandedly. "No one would tell me." The little girl giggled at Rikku. She looked up and, making sure this wasn't a joke, replied, trying to sound serious, which only caused more laughter.

"It's to celebrate the Eve of Crystals. Every year we do this. Haven't you seen it before?" Rikku shook her head. Trying to explain space travel seemed too complicated. "Oh, are you not from around here?" Rikku nodded. Something about this girl made her feel more comfortable, more at ease.

"Well, a long time ago, before all of this was here, this world was barren. Nothing grew here, and the only things that were here were rocks and ice. Well, one day, a group of travelers landed here. They were one of the first. Anyway, they were magic beings. They used up their energy to give life to the planet. The group had to leave to make other planets living, but their magic was needed here, so they sealed the magic needed into four sacred crystals. And every time about this time of year, the crystals rain over the land, and it revives it. See, the ice comes back, and then the crystals come and the ice melts away till next year."

She smiled, she was proud of knowing the story. Rikku was impressed with her knowledge, as well as the story too. The tree symbolized life, and the snowflakes the magic crystals. Rikku thanked the girl and left.

She wandered through the store some more, and then left. The cold wind nipped at her uncovered legs. She shivered, but something stirred inside her. It was growing stronger, and it made Rikku feel warmer, and she soon forgot about the bitter cold.

Feeling warmer, she began to feel better. The idea of living a stoic and isolated life was fading with every moment. All of the people seemed so happy and cheerful, and it rubbed off on her. She began to stick out her tongue to taste the snow and found it didn't taste as good as the fresh snow on Mt. Gagazet. She strolled down the street, looking at the decorations in the windows.

She passed by a large warehouse, one that looked abandoned. The roof was caving in, and the paint was peeling off. Rikku felt a strange urge and went inside. It was pitch black, so Rikku shuffled around slowly. She bumped into something large, something heavy. It felt metallic and cold. She tapped it again, and hearing a hollow echo, shivered.

She searched its outside, groping in the darkness for a switch or handle. She felt a bump and grew excited. She grabbed it with both hands and pulled. Unable to open it, Rikku flung her foot up on the metal hull. She pulled and pushed with her foot, but still couldn't open it. Determined to open it and find out what it was, Rikku put both feet onto the exterior. She tugged again, and heard a faint screech. Encouraged, she yanked the handle harder until the screech grew louder. She kept pulling until there was a loud crashing noise and Rikku fell over; she had pulled the door off of its hinges.

A surge of relief overpowered the pain of falling onto the cold hard floor, and Rikku stood up. She brushed herself off and looked in the direction of the vehicle. She could barely see inside. It was only visible because it was darker there then where Rikku was standing. Still curious and a little scared too, Rikku climbed into the ship, hoping there was no one inside.

She didn't want to take any chances so she called out, "Hello? Is anyone home? Sorry I broke the door." Hearing no response, she let out a sigh and sat down.

The seat was comfortable, it was soft and cushioned. Rikku bounced in it, and accidentally fell. She screamed and flailed out her arms. She hit something hard, but it moved. Off in the distance a light faintly turned on. It flickered on and off for a few seconds and then remained dimly lit. Rikku stared down towards the light trying to gauge how long the ship was. The light only lit up a tiny part of a hallway, and a few doors on the sides. She couldn't see the end in either direction, so Rikku knew the ship had to be larger than the Celsius. It seemed hard to imagine, but so many years had passed since she was a Gullwing that maybe airships could be larger.

She got up and decided to walk to the light. Three doors were in the lit area, two on the left and one on the right. Rikku knocked out of habit and, hearing the dull, hollow echo, opened the door. It creaked, and Rikku almost jumped. She laughed at her tense attitude. "There is nothing here to be afraid of," she thought.

She opened the door fully and peeked inside. There was little light to illuminate the room. The only light came from the dim hallway. She crept inside, and pushed the door fully open to get the most light. It didn't help much.

Rikku could pick out a bed, a dresser, a mirror, another door, and a possible window. Everything looked so neat except for all of the cobwebs and dust. Rikku wrinkled her nose, but she couldn't stifle it. She let out a loud sneeze, and it disrupted the dust. The webs and dirt flew up and scattered all over, revealing something on the dresser.

Rikku tiptoed over to it, hesitant to find what would be inside. Through the darkness, she saw its outline; it looked like a small box. She picked it up carefully, and she slid her fingers over it, feeling the polished wood and metal. It felt extremely cold to touch, so Rikku set it back down. She frowned, mad at herself for not knowing what it was. She picked it up again, this time using her scarf as a glove to protect her skin from the icy metal. She walked back into the hallway to get a proper look at it.

With the aid of the faint light, Rikku could make out painted objects on the wooden surface. Metal coated the corners and the lock. The figures seemed to be intertwined with each other, all of them creating a grander image. Rikku sat down, and tried to pry the box open. Unfortunately, it was locked. Rikku frowned again and pulled harder, hoping maybe it was stuck. It did not work. Captivated by an unknown force, she was determined to open this box. She set it down on the cushion and went back into the room.

She found the dresser again and opened all of the drawers. In the top most one she found a small key. It too was decorated with little painted animals, but these were separate from each other. But, it being the only key, Rikku decided it had to be the right one.

She walked back to the cushion and placed the box in her lap. It no longer felt cold, but Rikku was too worried about opening the chest to notice. She took the key, and slipped it into the lock. She slowly turned it, as if going to fast would break the key. She heard a quiet click and smiled. She slid the key into a pouch on her belt and then looked down at the box. It was changing.

She screamed, it carrying throughout the ship, into the warehouse, and out to the street. A family looked at the warehouse, believing it to be haunted, and walked away quickly. A few seconds later, a bright light, a light purple-blue, filled the warehouse. It faded away with the scream.

* * *

Cloud was exhausted. It was getting late, and the sun was in its final stage of setting. The twin moons were shining brighter than the sun and Cloud grinned. A few stars were visible, and in an hour, almost all would be shining brightly. He had come to the inner city, full of shops and people. They all seemed very happy and it annoyed him. He needed to find Rikku; he did not have time for merriment. 

He walked down the street, too tired to run anymore. His breaths were puffs of frozen clouds and he shivered. The side stores looked warm and cozy, but Cloud didn't have time to get sidetracked. There was no way to know if Rikku had been here, and even if she had, where she was now. Sorting through all the options in his mind, he was left with only two, both which were stupid: either search blindly until he found her, or ask someone if they had seen her. Cloud knew that running around would get him nowhere, this city was too large, and the odds were against him. That left him with the worse choice. Cloud swallowed his pride for love and would ask the next person he saw.

A little girl was coming out of a store, but it seemed she had no parents with her. Cloud, sure this was pointless, asked away. "Um, excuse me little girl," he stammered out embarrassed. "Have you seen Rikku? She's a girl about my age… she has blonde hair, a red and orange scarf, and yellow clothes on."

The girl seemed puzzled and then replied, "Yes." Cloud was shocked that this little girl knew. He thanked her and began to head into the store that they were standing outside of. If the girl had seen Rikku, and she was coming out of the store, than Rikku must be in the store. Before he got the door the girl grabbed his sleeve. She shook her head and pointed down the street.

"You mean she's that way?" Cloud asked, pointing the same way the girl was. She smiled and shook her head vehemently. Cloud asked her to show him. The girl bit her tongue for a second, and then accepted. So, Cloud wandered through the town following this little girl, who he suspected was about ten.

The little guide stopped in front of a broken down shack. Well, it was bigger than a shack, but seemed to be worth the same. Cloud gave it a questionable look, and then looked down at his guide. She was smiling, rocking back and forth, and humming some catchy tune. He shrugged and thanked her. He began walking towards it, but the girl stopped him once again.

She shook her head and said, "No, not yet. Wait."

Cloud gave up trying to reason with her and stood in the cold, occasionally rubbing his hands or marching in place to keep warm. The little girl didn't seem to mind the bitter cold, or acknowledge Cloud's silly methods for warmth. She just stared at the warehouse. She sighed and began to walk towards it. Cloud assumed this meant it was time and followed.

The inside was pitch black. The sun would have lit it up slightly, but now it had fully set and the moonlight couldn't penetrate this far. Cloud followed the little girl by holding her hand. They seemed to be going to the middle, and Cloud wondered what this place stored. He heard a soft sound, and it sounded like footsteps. They were out of sync with his and the girl's and he worried who it might be. His eyes were growing accustomed to the dark, and he saw something like a door on the ground. He gave that a quizzical look, but was cut short by the girl leading him onward. She whispered for him to watch his step, and he stepped up, his foot landing on metal.

He was growing skeptical about this girl, but he figured he could handle whatever trap she was setting for him. He saw a light on in the distance, and instinctively headed for it. A door was ajar on the side, but before he could look inside, the girl shoved him into the door across the hall. He landed on a soft bed, dazed and confused. He braced himself for some sort of attack, but when nothing happened, he got up.

He crept out of the room and looked down the hallway. There was a person down there, hunched over something. He quickly dashed out of the light and continued to get closer to the person. He heard a key click and jumped up out of fright. The person screamed and dropped the box. It emitted a strange glow, and Cloud saw whom he was standing next to: Rikku. They both stared at each other wide eyed until the light vanished and everything went black.

* * *

I hope you all are enjoying the fic! Well, what'll happen now that Cloud and Rikku are in an abandoned ship in the middle of the night? And, that box has some big significance. Can you guess it? I'm hoping to add some more action and some more romance in the upcoming chapters. Please give me any suggestions or ideas. I'll try to use them! Thanks for reading and reviewing!  
-AntiMusicMan 


	12. XII: Cygnet

**Chapter 12: Cygnet**

"Wha— what are you doing here!"

Cloud moved slowly towards Rikku, his hands up in the air, slightly quivering. Rikku inched backwards, feeling behind her with her naked fingers. She felt something hard— something cold— and realized she had edged up to the wall of the room. She was cornered now, and her eyes darted from each end of the room, looking for some way to escape. Cloud kept coming closer, slowly but surely, and was whispering something. Why is he whispering, she asked herself.

She began to calm down, concentrating on only what he was saying, "It's alright. I'm here to help, Rikku. I don't hate you. I'm here to help."

She opened her eyes, wincing, bracing for pain. But it never came. To her complete surprise, he knelt down and hugged her. She didn't struggle; she didn't return the embrace. She just stood there, limp like a doll. Cloud kept on hugging her, and he kept on saying sweet things.

"I love you. Everything'll be okay. Everything's fine now."

She relaxed into his arms and, by nature, began to hug him in return. Cloud smiled, immensely happy that he had found her. Rikku began to smile too, and tears followed. They began slowly trickling down her cheek, and dropping onto the lifeless metal floor. Cloud turned his head and looked straight at Rikku. His sappy sapphire blue eyes looked into the wet, swirling emeralds that were Rikku's. In that one moment, Rikku leaped for joy inside— she finally knew the truth: Cloud _loved_ her, truly _loved_ her. She had acted so childish, had even run away, but Cloud had chased right after her. He cared so much for her. And now, she finally knew it.

Rikku sniffled to stop the tears and let out a soft laugh. She couldn't bottle up her bliss any longer and smiled. She flung herself into the unsuspecting Cloud and wrapped her arms around his neck. She looked up at his messy blonde hair, his beautiful eyes, and his heavenly smile. She brought their faces closer, and closer, until they were but an inch apart. She closed her eyes, wanting the darkness to beautify the act. She felt his breath, the warm air rushing into her own mouth, growing wider by the second. Rikku could almost taste his lips, almost feel his damp mouth.

"Whatcha doing?" a little, soft voice inquired. Both Rikku and Cloud opened their eyes and looked to the side. They saw the little girl who met Rikku in the store, and who was Cloud's guide. He forgot that she was aboard the craft with them.

"Rikku, this is… um…" he tried explaining. "She helped me find you. We should thank her, right?" Cloud was sitting upright, with Rikku in his lap snuggled up against his body. Cloud had his arms draped over her shoulders and was rubbing her shoulders softly with his fingers.

"Yep, we definitely should," she answered back, nodding her head a little too much for emphasis. The little girl giggled, and then stifled it trying not to be rude. "That's okay. Laughing a good thing. It brings the best out of people."

"And since when did you become so insightful?" Cloud gave Rikku a short peck on the forehead. Rikku looked up at her golden angel and smiled. She felt so much better now; all of her fears, all of her doubts, had vanished. She was in perfect contentment— no more than that— she was in paradise.

The couple looked back to their little companion. "Um, I'm Cloud, Rikku's friend. OW!" Cloud rubbed his chest and he winced in pain. Rikku had punched him squarein the chestwhen he finished his word 'friend'. "Ow… Sorry, she's my girlfriend, so I'm her boyfriend," he finished. "And you are?"

She looked at the two, and then gazed past them at something overhead. They both turned their necks to se what was so fascinating. Cloud squinted to get a better view and Rikku gasped as her jaw dropped. "Wow…" Cloud lightly shook his head, and looked back at the ceiling. Where the wall met the ceiling, there was an ornate pillar, a support column most likely. Its vines and leaves stretched from off it to throughout the whole ceiling, with leaves and stone flowers budding off. In the corner, lit perfectly by one of the few working lights (for some more had turned on by now), lay a console and monitor. Rikku got up slowly, her machina instinct kicking in. She craved to figure out what this was; she needed to make it work. She approached the console apprehensively, and looked back. The little girl was wide-eyed, Cloud the same. She put her finger lightly on her lips and cocked her head slightly. She wondered how to fix this, and moved her head side to side during her inspection. She knelt down, he scarf trailing on the floor. She pushed a small, almost hidden button. She closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands and waited. Nothing. She opened one eye, and moved her fingers slightly. With her partial vision, she saw that they had not blown up. "Phew."

Not looking back, she motioned with a wave of her right hand for Cloud to come over there. He obeyed. She turned and whispered into his ear for a little, waited, and then heard his whispered response. She nodded and walked back towards the little girl. She knelt again, her butt resting on the back of her legs. "I'm a machina specialist. I should be able to fix this… whatever it is, in no time at all. But, I dunno how safe it is. So…"

"You want me to go?" the little girl asked. She had big puppy-dog eyes now, and stuck out her lower lip to complete the look.

Rikku looked back over at Cloud, mimicking the younger girl. "Pwease Cwoud, can she stay? Pwease?" Cloud shook his head and rolled his eyes, but gave in. Rikku smiled and clapped her hands, and the little girl ran over and hugged Cloud. He wasn't expecting it, so he almost fell over. He caught himself and awkwardly hugged her back.

"Well, first things first: what's your name?"

"My name is..." the little girl looked down at her feet which shifted nervously. "The thing is," she said, looking up again, "I don't know. I don't know my name."

An awkward silence set in. Rikku and Cloud didn't know what to say. This had never happened to them before and they were a little scared. The little girl was the one to break the silence.

"I don't know much about my family or anything, but, you guys feel like one to me. Somehow, I was supposed to be here, with you two." Rikku and Cloud looked at each other wide eyed. This seemed very odd at first, but then they realized they had felt the same way before. When they had met, they hadn't known anything about the other, but there was an affinity there, a bond that was controlled by destiny.

And similarly to destiny, the three felt an urge to see the box that Rikku had opened before. Rikku got down slowly and carefully picked up the wooden box. She placed in her lap as she sat down. She slid her fingers over the wood surface, feeling the tiny bumps and grooves that made the creatures. She breathed out and opened the lid.

In the box lay one single object. The pure silver necklace faintly glittered because it was coated in dust. Rikku wiped the dust off and sneezed. It cleared and revealed the necklace's true glory. It reflected the overhead lights with its pristine silver; it bore colored jewels: rubies, emeralds, sapphires, amethysts, topazes, and diamonds on its band; and in the center hung a crystal relief of a swan.

"It's beautiful," was all Rikku could manage to say. Cloud and the girl walked over to see the necklace. Rikku held it up, and the jewels bounced their colors over the ships' walls.

The little girl asked quietly, "May I try it on, please?" Rikku nodded and slipped it on over her head. As soon as Rikku had swung the swan pendent to the front of the necklace, it emitted a soft rose glow. The girl's hair rippled softly as if there was a slight breeze.

Starting out softly, a delicate melody sang forth from the swan. As it grew louder, tiny wisps of red drifted out of the necklace and towards its wearer. In its final note of beauty, the music sprang into the girl. And everything was back to it was before.

Cloud looked at the girl, unsure if what he had seen was real. "Are— are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she answered in a more confident tone than she had used before. "My name is Kait."

Cloud and Rikku looked at her, not sure if they heard right.

"My name is Kait, I remember that now," she replied. "This place, it feels so familiar. Like you two."

The necklace was obviously magical, but why something with this power be lying in a box in an abandoned ship? And why did the necklace allow Kait to recall her past?

"Let's go," Kait said. She walked down the hallway into the darkness. Rikku ran a little bit, turned back to Cloud, and then chased after her shouting, "Go where? Hey, wait up!"

Cloud was alone now. He looked at the empty box. Somehow, he too felt that innate connection. He felt it when he first met Rikku. _But how are we all connected?_ He picked up the box and examined it with his fingers. On its varnished surface lay three prominent animals. Smaller and lesser creatures snaked throughout the chest, but they didn't draw much attention. There was a lion, crouched and ready to pounce. His golden mane flowed into the tail of the next creature, the phoenix. The fiery bird looked as if it was just rising out of the flames of rebirth, and its crimson-gold feathers reminded Cloud of flames. The third creature was set apart, and it was a fairy. Her wings fawned out like an insect, and her clothing were earthly. She was very beautiful, and Cloud felt, faintly, that he had met this fairy before. But Cloud quickly shook the idea since he could never recall meeting any fairy.

After looking inside, and seeing nothing else, he put the box down and walked after Kait and Rikku, wondering where they were headed.

When he met up with them, both were talking excitedly over some sort of machine. They turned around and tried to look serious. Cloud stared at Rikku until she could hold it in no longer. She began giggling uncontrollably and then fell over.

She got up and began explaining. "This here is an ancient ship, supposedly owned by the great ancient heroes. Kait thinks she'll be able to operate it."

Cloud looked over at Kait, and the once little girl seemed older. She just looked at him, and now Cloud was certain she had drastically aged. He was about to question when she interrupted.

"I know I can pilot this ship. Who knows what secrets lie hidden in its databank? Well, yes or no?" She extended her hand slightly forward.

Cloud gave her a questioning stare. "Yes or no what?"

"Do you want her to try to pilot this thing silly," Rikku answered for Kait. Kait nodded and Cloud agreed. "Well then, let's get started!" Rikku skipped over to Kait and rocked back and forth as she waited for orders.

Cloud scratched the back of his head. "So, where are we headed?" He wanted to go somewhere, anywhere. He was ready to fly.

Kait shook her head sullenly. "We can't fly anywhere, not yet. First I'm going to have to access the databank. Then we can see what this girl can do." She continued walking down the hallway and then went through the sliding door at the end. Rikku started to follow, but Cloud grabbed her arm. When she looked back, she saw Cloud motioning for her to go the other way, with him. She smiled coyly and scampered off with him to explore the other ends of the airship.

"We'd only bother her anyways," Cloud whispered as the couple walked back into the darkness of the halls.

……………………………………………...

Kait was lost in the darkness. She tried retracing her steps, but it only made her more lost. She was terrified, afraid she was going to die. But she wasn't about to give up that easily. She was smart; she'd figure this through. Her hands, groping for any switch or wall, finally hit something. It was cold, and Kait flinched back. Slowly, she touched it again, tracing around it trying to figure out what it was. She felt a bump, and flicked it. Immediately the machines started to hum to life and the overhead lights began to flicker on. Kait sighed and peered into the fading darkness.

She was in something that looked like a control room. Not knowing where to start, she walked up to a large keypad and extended her finger slowly. The button made a quiet beep and then the silence continued. She stuck out her lip and pushed a different button. All she got was a beep still, though this one was slightly lower pitch. She turned her head around, looking for something that might give her a clue to what would operate this ship. Seeing nothing else, she continued toiling away at the keypad, trying random sequences. Frustrated, she began making short melodies, since each button gave off different sound.

_So Ti La Do' ... ... Do' Ti Do'Re' So ... ...Re' Mi' Do' Re' ... ... Do' Ti Do'Re' So ... ...So So La La Ti ... ...Ti La Fa Fa So So_

Kait played this melody a few times more. She liked it very much; it gave her a sense of inner peace. The song wasn't really her creation either. She more of felt it, like she had already known it but had just forgotten.

Now relaxed by her song, Kait began aimlessly wandering in the rather large room. Starting from the keypad, there lay the doors which she came from to the far left. To her right were another set of doors, but she really wasn't in the exploring-new-passages mood right now. A large monitor screen was on the wall opposite her, and a few seats and a couch faced it. They all seemed in perfect condition, as if this ship had docked earlier today. She made her away over to the monitor and saw yet another touch screen. Figuring it operated the same way as the mounted one, she pushed the button that would probably make the '_Do_'sound. It didn't. The monitor turned on, and all of the lights around it began glowing. A bit startled, but pleased she had found the power switch, she smiled. Kait played happily with her new discovery for a long time while Rikku and Cloud were exploring.

……………………………………………...

As Cloud and Rikku had begun walking down the hallway, the lights were still mainly out, but the the few that were lit were glowing brighter than before. The couple walked in almost utter silence in the semi-darkness. Rikku had wrapped her arms around Cloud's right arm and was resting her head on his shoulder. She was smiling, though Cloud couldn't tell because of the lack of light. They reached the spot were they had first bumped into each other and stopped for a bit. Rikku broke away from Cloud, stooped down, and picked up the wooden box. She brushed it of with her scarf and pushed some loose hair out of her eyes. She walked into the musty room and set the box down in the same place she had found it.

As she turned to leave, Cloud was standing in the doorway, one arm on the door post, the other loosely hanging. He gave a smirk and walked forward, towards her, slowly. Rikku backed up, slightly scared and slightly excited. Cloud walked faster and caught her arm and twirled her into his embrace. Rikku looked up at him with her innocent eyes. She let a tiny giggle pass through her lips before she was seized by a kiss. Reluctant for only a second, Rikku began to kiss him back, feeling his passion diffuse into her. She felt his hands slide up her delicate arms and onto her shoulders and begin down her sides. She tried to pull away though she knew she's loved it. Cloud wouldn't let Rikku go, and her struggling caught Cloud off balance and flung the two onto the bed.

Cloud let go of the kiss to say, "You want me that bad?" He rose his eyebrow to suggest even more. Rikku brushed his hands off and in her best angry imitation: "No! It was just an accident."

Cloud scooted over towards her and placed his hands on her shoulders. She shivered from his cold hands, but didn't recoil this time. Cloud wrapped his arms around her front till his hands met by her stomach. The two lay there for awhile, just listening to each other breathe. Rikku turned over, tufts of her hair falling onto her and Clouds face. She gently kissed him for a second and then started to get up. Now it was Cloud's turn to look sad; he made pouting face and puppydog eyes. Rikku smiled but shook her head '_No_'. "Not now," she whispered, "Later. After we've..."

"Do what later?" Both Rikku and Cloud shot their heads over to the entrance. There stood Kait, looking slightly giddy but at the same time serious. Rikku was beginning to blush heavily and so turned away from Kait.

"We were just going to tidy up the rooms _after_ we finished exploring this place," Cloud responded hastily.

"Oh," Kait seemed to realize that there was something else, but she decided not to press it. "Well, in that case, I think you'll be happy to know that I found the databank."

Rikku turned around, her face slightly tinted red. "So? What did ya find?" Rikku was becoming more and more excited as Kait retold her story of wandering into the room and the musical pad.

"So, this ship is named _Cygnet_?" Cloud asked. Kait nodded. "So can you fly it?" She nodded again.

Cloud got up now and stood next to Rikku. He growing excited as well.

"Well, what are waiting for?" Rikku ran right up to Kait and grabbed her hands. "Let's go!"

Kait smiled, but obviously was not liking this attention. She nodded and then walked towards the control room. As the three were walking, music began playing over the speakers. Rikku stopped and the two turned around, waiting.

_So Ti La Do' ... ... Do' Ti Do'Re' So ... ...Re' Mi' Do' Re' ... ... Do' Ti Do'Re' So ... ...So So La La Ti ... ...Ti La Fa Fa So So_

_Ieyui ... ... Nobomenu ... ...Renmiri ... ...Yojuyogo ... ... Hasatekanae ... ... Kutamae_

"It's the _Hymn of the Fayth_,"

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Hey! Sorry It's taken me FOREVER to update (I really got to get better about that) Well, I've got a plan formulating, so I should be able to sooner than later... Thanks for all the support, comments, and suggestions!  
AntiMusicMan


	13. XIII: Ceres

Sorrt about taking forever to update! I've been really sidetracked with school and track, but I'm trying to get better with updates. Well, this chapter leaves a lot of open questions, and if you have any suggestions for upcoming chapter, let me know. Thanks, and enjoy the fic!

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

**Chapter XIII: Ceres**

"The Hymn of the Faith? What is that?" Kait looked at Rikku, and then over to Cloud. He shrugged, but then recalled something.

He told them, "O, I remember! _The Hymn of the Fayth_ is the sacred song of Yevon, the old religion of Spira. They used it to defeat Sin." He smiled, being proud of himself. Rikku walked over, and Cloud went to hug her, but she kept going. She turned around, agitated.

"But that doesn't explain why it's playing or where it's coming from!" She furrowed her brows, trying to think of a reason for the hymn to be playing. Cloud hugged her anyways, and although she didn't hug back, Cloud knew she liked it.

"I think I know where it's coming from," Kait added. "There was this music pad in the control room, and I was playing it. That song- the hymn- I played it on the pad. Maybe it has a replay mode or something?"

Rikku looked at the girl and thought for a second. Her face grew worried. "How do you know _The Hymn of the Fayth_?"

Kait looked at two, unsure of how to explain. _They'd never understand,_ she told herself. _I don't even understand; how can I expect them to?_ She shifted nervously, the song still echoing in the halls. She closed her eyes and tried to recall where the song had come from. She could feel it welling up inside her, needing to be sung. She felt all of the emotions that enshrouded it. She felt all of the defiance that it was originally sung with. She felt the acceptance as it became a holy song of Yevon. All of the pain and sorrow that Sin had brought she felt; and all of the hope the hymn tried to bring filled her body. And finally, she felt its power, the power that was able to defeat Sin.

She was overwhelmed, and she fell over crying. She sobbed through her hands that were trying to cover her sad eyes. Nothing could explain it, but all the same it was the most natural thing to do. Rikku bent over and began soothing Kait, worried for her. She lifted Kait's face and smiled. "Hey, it's okay. I'm not mad. It's okay that you played the hymn."

Kait smiled through her falling tears. She laughed and wiped away the lingering the tears. "Right." She fixed her hair and breathed. "Why don't I just take you to the control room. I can show you the music pad there, and then we can turn it off."

Rikku smiled and nodded and helped Kait to her feet. Kait brushed her clothes and led the couple to the control room. Kait felt so much pain from the Hymn that she was barely able to stand up. But she couldn't give up now; she had to be strong. So, she hid the pain from the two and led them in silence.

They reached the control room and Kait opened the doors. Rikku awed at the spacious room, where as Cloud's eyes darted from machine to machine. Kait walked over to the music pad and touched a few buttons. Eventually, she was able to turn off the _Hymn of the Fayth_. She walked next to the main machine, the one that held all of the coordinates, its log, and all other information. She quickly typed something on the keypad and instantly two holo-projectors whirred to life. They produced a hologram of a planet and the three moons that orbited it.

Cloud had never seen anything like this and he stared at it dumbfounded. "How? Wha-?" He asked blankly as he pointed to all of the machines that were operating. Kait laughed at his ignorance.

"This is standard technology here. So naturally, since I assume this ship came from here, it would have it." She pressed a few more buttons and a long lists of letters and numbers appeared on the large screen next to her. "Here we go. The manufacture records… ah, I was right! Says right here, 'Manufacture #0954032, made in Belsdore, Ravoa. Purchased by Quentin.'" She looked at Cloud, proud that she was right.

Rikku was enthralled with the machine as well. This holographic projector was fairly new technology back in Spira. She was used to it, but this seemed a bit different. This ship seemed ancient, and if they had this technology back then…

"So, that about does it. We should be able to lift off anytime now." Kait smiled. She was ready to start, to see new worlds. Then she realized one tiny (okay, one huge) problem. "Uh-oh," the smiled dropped from her face and she grew worried. "We can't lift off."

Rikku looked at her funny, and then over to Cloud. She didn't understand why, and neither did he. _Didn't see just say we'd be able to go?_ She looked back at Kait and asked, "Why not?"

"Because there is no way to get out of here, this warehouse. I don't know how we would open the roof. We're stuck." She slumped into the chair by the monitor. It was so unfair. Everything was going like it should- she had met Rikku and Cloud, two people she knew destiny had chosen her to meet. She had found the swan pendent, and with it some memories. Kait knew that the answers to her past lay in this ship and wherever the _Cygnet_ would take them. But it was all for nothing; it was hopeless now.

Cloud, the rash and act-before-I-think type, offered a suggestion. "Couldn't we just crash through the roof?"

Rikku looked up at her boyfriend, her look sufficing for words. Cloud immediately felt slightly stupid and embarrassed, and he began to blush. Rikku laughed in her head, not wanting him to feel too bad. She stood on her toes and kissed him on both pink cheeks. Cloud kissed her back on the forehead.

Kait cleared her throat, and the couple looked back the younger girl. They had forgotten about her and were glad she had reminded them. Kait looked at the ceiling, and the control panel, and addressed Cloud and Rikku. "I think he might be right. That might be our only solution."

Cloud beamed a smile and Rikku squinted her eyes and wrinkled her nose as she cocked her head slightly. "What? You mean," she pointed to Cloud, who was behind her, "he might be right?"

Cloud frowned and swiveled her around, so they were face to face. "Yes, I told you I was smart." He kissed her lightly on the lips and the two looked at each other for a second more.

"Well, now that that is settled, shall we go?" Kait motioned to the empty seat and they filled them. Kait took the pilot's chair, Rikku copilot, and Cloud navigator. Kait, looked at the two, and seeing they were ready, she pushed the ignition.

"Begin in three… two… one… thrusters initiated!" The three could hear the engines roaring, and the old ship trying to lift off. "Brace for impact people!"

Cloud looked over at Rikku, his beloved, and smiled. He reached out and grabbed her hand. Rikku smiled back and she realized how lucky she really was. They felt a bump, and then the strain of metal breaking. The two didn't worry; they were lost in each other. Kait was busy pressing buttons and moving levers. After about five minutes, the metal broke, and the _Cygnet_ ascended into the sky.

The three were relieved and sighed. Cloud got up, and Rikku followed. They sat down on a larger chair; Rikku sat on his lap. Cloud wrapped his arms around her and kept her close, promising to himself to always be there to protect her.

Kait didn't look at the couple, for she didn't want to invade on their privacy. She felt happy for both of them, and began to look forward to when she'd be like that. The more she thought about it, the more she wished it would come sooner.

The _Cygnet_ was rising steadily over the warehouse, the city, and soon was soaring with the clouds. The control room happened to be in middle of the ship, and it was wide enough that it had windows on both sides. Rikku left the coziness of Cloud's lap to look out of the window and admire the land below. It reminded her so much of the Gullwings, and flying on the _Celsius_. She longed to go back to those fun days, but she was starting her own adventure now. She didn't need to just reminisce about having fun, she was finally able to have her own adventure.

The _Cygnet_ rose above the clouds and Rikku gasped. Flying underneath them were large creatures. They were birds, or something like a bird, and their wings glistened in the sunlight, reflecting rainbows every which way. They reminded Rikku greatly of Evrae, the dragon protector of Bevelle. And linked with that was…

"Rikku, are you okay?" She didn't realize it, but she had begun to cry. She buried her face in Cloud's chest as she cried, beating lightly on his chest as she remembered all of the hate and guilt she felt during that sad experience at Home and Bevelle. Cloud embraced her, soothing her with calm words and rubbing her back gently with his hands. He picked her sobbing face up and smiled into it, which made Rikku laugh, but one of those cry-laughs. Cloud laughed and soon Rikku had composed herself.

"So, where are we off to?" Rikku had returned to her peppy, nosy little self and ran up to the monitor, anxiously awaiting an update. Kait hid her laugh and pressed a few buttons, activating the screen. It was a map fairly new to both Rikku and Cloud; it was a map of the stars and the worlds between them. This technology had recently been brought to Spira, but it seemed the rest of the worlds had been connected for a while before then. A flashing light indicated the world they were in: Ravoa. Many other worlds littered the screen, but the couple could only identify about three of them. Kait punched in some numbers and a green flashing light appeared on a world not too far away.

"That world was the last stop of the _Cygnet_ before it landed back on Ravoa. Do you wanna check it out first?" Kait turned her head around, wanting to see the looks on their faces. Unfortunate for her, Rikku and Cloud didn't seem too excited and said simply, "Yah."

Kait smiled to herself anyways and typed in some more commands. She first put the ship on autopilot, and then pulled up the ship's log.

"The log has some recorded information on the world. Here it is":

…_World Name: _Ceres  
_**…**World Status_: Habitable  
_**…**Climate:_ Temperate, mostly rainforest and fields, few ice caps, mountains, volcanoes, and deserts  
_**…**Native Inhabitants:_ Natives prove to be intelligent and very similar to us. Not as technologically superior, they do however possess the want to learn and will, in due time, surpass us. They are well educated, and have beautiful cities. Well organized government, an oligarchy.  
_**…**Land to Sea Ratio:_ about 6/10sea, 3/10 developed islands, 1/10 volcanic islands, desert islands, and savage islands  
_**…**Notes:_ The natives are very similar to us, and their cities rival ours in complexity and beauty. They seem very educated, though they possess no outstanding technology. Most of them are friendly and hospitable, except for the few who live

"That's odd. The log should continue, but it won't let me access the rest." Kait turned around in disappointment. Rikku didn't seem too affected and walked over to the window, marveling at the stars in the sky. Cloud on the other hand was deep in thought. He seemed perturbed by the cut-off entry, but he couldn't put his mind on why.

After a minute of contemplation, he got up and walked next to the control panel. He hunched over the keypad and asked, "Do they have a map of this world? Ceres was it?"

Kait bit her lip until she found it. She opened it, but still wasn't sure what Cloud was getting at. As she skimmed over it, she soon figured it out for herself. "Genius. Even with the unfinished log…"

"…We can locate the cities and learn of the ones to avoid," Cloud finished for her.

The world was divided into three major islands, one to the North West, one to the East, and the other to the South. The western one was labeled 'Kai', as it resembled a seahorse. Across the sea was the large eastern island of Xaijin. On its southern peninsula was a city labeled 'Formosa' and they assumed this city was important in some aspect. And to the south lay two almost connected islands. The western of the two was labeled 'Ko Agero' and seemed to be a giant prairie. The eastern one was labeled 'Ebi Islands' and seemed to be more of a desert island. On the Ebi Island, in almost the exact center, was the city labeled 'Ishimari'.

The great ocean dividing all three major islands was called 'Magn Mar'. To the west of Kai, the seahorse shaped island, was the Sysem Sea, and a ring of islands floated in it. The world didn't seem unusual or amazing in any way, much as the report had said. What the map did have was a large red message on the top, floating above Kai.

"Danger! Avoid at all costs. Rebellious natives, powerful and merciless! Avoid at all costs!" It had two arrows, one pointing to the northern most tip of Kai, the other to the largest island in the Sysem Sea. Kait and Cloud both made a mental note to avoid those two areas, though they really would have no way of recognizing them without this map.

No longer interested at looking out into endless but beautiful space, Rikku came over to the screen. She looked at the map, and pointed to a spot on it and said, "Let's go there!"

Cloud and Kait turned around, and saw Rikku pointing to some area on the island of Xaijin. They both had a worried, and confused, look on their faces. Rikku replied with a shrug of the shoulders and, "It looks like it'd be fun." Rikku giggled, trying to lighten the mood. Cloud and Kait just gave her an awkward glance and returned to looking up the coordinates and reading bits of the log.

Disappointed, Rikku stuck out her lip and flailed her arms up and down. Still pouting, Rikku decided to explore more of the ship, alone this time. She left through the sliding doors and walked down to the hallway where they had all met.

The lights were now all on and full power. It made the hallway look less mysterious and, in a sense, less exciting. Rikku walked down, opening the doors slightly to peek inside. After about ten doors (five on each side), Rikku reached the area where she encountered Cloud, and where she had opened the jewelry box. She looked over at the column, the one with the vines intertwined over it. It was beautiful, in a classical artsy way. As she turned to continue her exploration, something twinkled on the column. Intrigued, Rikku walked up to the column and traced along the stony pillar with her delicate finger. She felt the bumps for the vines and the indents for the column's texture. She found what had twinkled almost at the base of the column, in between the wall and the back. She picked it up, and Rikku gasped. In her hand she held a sphere.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

He opened his eyes slowly, reaffirming to himself that indeed he was alive. He felt weak all over, and very tired, but he knew that he had to stay awake, at least for now, if he was to stay alive. He opened his saggy eyes fully and saw nothing but darkness above him. _Maybe I am dead?_ But, upon further examination, the darkness was really the darkened high ceiling. He sighed, relieved at knowing he was alive. He slowly and painfully turned his head to the left. His dark hair fell and covered his face, immersing himself in darkness again. Unable to move his arms to pull his unruly hair back, he let himself doze off again; his dreams were filled with the hope of recovery and what awaited him and no longer were nightmares of the world beyond.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

"Well, that should set the coordinates. I'm setting the autopilot for Ceres."

"So, we just get to kick back and relax?" Cloud asked, though he was only joking. Kait laughed at his sarcasm and cracked a smile. "Yah," she muttered.

The doors whished open and Rikku came running in, screaming something and waving her arms wildly. She got up next to them and stopped; she bent over and breathed in and out. Cloud walked over, utterly confused. Rikku was tired and she slumped out on the ground, her legs splaying backwards. She let go of the sphere and it rolled on the metal floor, making a 'clinking' noise until it hit Cloud's shoe.

Cloud crouched over and picked up the sphere. It wasn't the usual size or color of a sphere. It was much smaller, and instead of being orange or red, it was light blue. Cloud gave the sphere to Kait and went over to his lover. He bent over and picked up her chin with his hand. She was tired, but she still looked beautiful. He helped her up and then carried her in his muscular arms. He left the control room and walked to the hallway of rooms.

He opened the door with his feet. He nudged it slightly, and then kicked it to open it fully. Rikku weakly smiled, the toll of no sleep for over day taking effect. Cloud put her down gently on the bed, and propped her up against the pillows. He took the blanket off the bed from the room across the hall and wrapped Rikku up in it. He leaned over and kissed her on the lips. "Goodnight."

Kait was busy typing on the control panel when Cloud walked in. She looked up to acknowledge him, and then continued. He walked behind her, putting his hands on the chair and the desk. Kait tried to ignore it, since it made her uncomfortable. Cloud didn't seem to notice.

"So, what's on the sphere?" Cloud asked, breaking Kait's trail of thought. She didn't respond, and so Cloud asked again.

"Oh," she replied hastily, trying to cover up her absent-mindness. "Well, actually, I can't tell. Either this sphere has no recording on it, or this ship can't decipher it. Either way, it mine as well be a dud."

Cloud sighed and walked back a few steps. "So what do we do now?"

The question never was answered because just as the words left Cloud's mouth, a tremor shot through the ship. Cloud fell over on the floor, and Kait rocked back and forth in her chair. The shock left after a few seconds, and Cloud got up. His hands were clasped over his ears, the constant ringing injuring him. Kait had her ears covered too, trying as much as she could to ease the pain. But nothing worked.

While Kait squirmed in her chair, eyes closed and her face grunting, Cloud began to move, having to use every muscle in his body just to walk. He could barely do it, but eventually Cloud made it to the doors. He opened the door and fell into the opening, too exhausted to go any farther. As blackness began creeping in, Cloud thought that the ringing had weakened, and in his last moments of consciousness heard it stop.

When he awoke he found himself warm and in something soft and cozy. Reluctantly he opened his eyes to find himself in a bed. He looked around the room and saw everyday objects, but he had never been here before. He flung off the blankets and stepped onto the floor. He realized he was naked, and not seeing his clothes anywhere, he went to the bathroom and wrapped a towel around his waist. Determined to know where he was, Cloud opened his room's door and stepped out into the hallway.

The hallway was well lit, almost too bright as the lights reflected off the metal floor and walls. A few other doors lined the walls, and Cloud saw the two exits to the hallway. The metal floor was cold, but Cloud ignored it. Right now he had to find Rikku.

He opened the door right across the hall from his and found an empty bedroom. Frustrated, he swiftly made sure the room was empty and then began searching the room next to it. He flung the door open and thought he heard something, but couldn't see anything, yet. He turned on the lights and saw someone lying in the bed. Their long blond hair draped over their face, and the body was covered by the blankets. Cloud walked in and moved the hair aside to see the face that he longed to see. He saw Rikku's lovely face, serene as she blissfully slept. He smiled and played with her hair just a few moments longer. He placed his fingers on her cheek and began rubbing them with the back of his hand. Her face felt very cold. Cloud leaned in and kissed her on her cold but still delicate lips. As he pulled away, Cloud saw her eyes begin to flutter.

Rikku remembered finding a sphere, and then falling over onto the ship's floor. She remembered Cloud picking her up, carrying her in his arms, and taking her to a bed. And she remembered his goodnight kiss. But she wondered if those things were just a wonderful dream. She felt something warm touch her face, and then felt it go up and down, soothing her skin. Then the warmth moved off her face and she felt warm lips touch hers.Rikku opened her eyes to see Cloud next to her on the bed.

Rikku couldn't believe her luck. So that wonderful dream really was true. As she looked over at Cloud, she realized that he wasn't wearing a shirt (not that she minded) and she stared at his handsome physique. As Rikku ogled Cloud's body, she saw the towel wrapped around his waist. His body wasn't wet and Rikku wondered why he was wearing a towel.

Cloud inched closer to his love and kissed her again, glad that she didn't seem hurt or injured in any way. He slid his hand onto her back, underneath the covers, and found that she wasn't wearing her usual bikini top. In fact, it seemed she wasn't wearing a top at all.

Rikku enjoyed his fingers dancing on her back until she too realized that she was topless. Panicky, she pressed the blanket tighter around her body, trying to assure that no skin was revealed that shouldn't be. But Cloud would have none of it. He was caught up in the excitement of finding Rikku and the lust of finding her naked as well. He slid under the covers with Rikku, and began caressing her body. Rikku enjoyed his touch, but it didn't seem right, like it wasn't the right time, and so she pulled away. Cloud tried to calm her down by saying, "Rikku, it's okay. I won't do anything you don't want to. Beside, we're the only one's here."

Rikku wasn't entirely sure Cloud was telling the truth and so still stayed out of his reach. Cloud kept smiling, trying to look innocent but failing miserably. He kept sliding over, forcing Rikku to slide over more too. She was at the edge of the bed hoped Cloud would stop his advances.

Cloud was enjoying every minute of this "game". Rikku's attempts made her more sexy and appealing, unfortunate for her. Cloud scooted right up against Rikku, and he could feel her heat, which warmed his heart and proved to be the greatest aphrodisiac. Still unsure, Rikku tried to keep away, and so she fell off the bed. Cloud had wrapped his arms around her in the last second, and so he too came hurtling off the bed. He landed on Rikku and the blanket fell over on top of them. Cloud was unusually giddy now, and it was beginning to spread to Rikku. The fall had loosened Cloud's towel, and as he lay crouched over Rikku the towel slipped off. It landed onto Rikku, covering her chest and upper legs. Embarrassed, Cloud pressed his body against Rikku's to prevent her from seeing his glory.

The table had turned, and now it was Cloud's turn to be prudent. Cloud's brief exposure had aroused Rikku, and she began trying to push Cloud off of her. To prevent this, he wrapped his arms around her tightly and refused to let go. Being on the bottom, Rikku could only see Cloud's red face and spiky blond hair. Both now embarrassed and aroused, they leaned in and began kissing. It began in short sporadic kisses, and they eventually held them for longer and longer. Rikku's idle hands made their way onto Clouds exposed back and soon down towards his legs. She found his sweaty butt with her fingers, and she began moving them up and down, bringing pleasure to both of the lovers. Relaxed, Cloud began moving his hands as well. They trickled down Rikku's back, tickling the Al Bhed. She broke their kiss to begin laughing. Cloud fell off of her, and landed beside her, face up. Cloud began blushing again from his exposure, but didn't try to hide anything this time. Rikku looked over at her man and she smiled. She slid the towel off of her body, flung it away, and rolled over to Cloud. She embraced him, and their two sweaty, passionate bodies met.

Rikku closed her eyes and began kissing the true man that she loved- the man she would love forever. And Cloud, in return, showed Rikku his passionate and raw love.


	14. XIV: The Crow

**Chapter XIV: The Crow**

Kait was tired, and she felt very comfortable in her cozy bed. She laid in the state of half-awake, half-asleep; she was partially aware of what was going on, and yet still dreaming. She lay in bed, warm under the covers in her half-conscious state, for about an hour. And then, reality kicked in and she became fully awake and fully alert in one moment. Kait began to wonder not only where she was, but when it was, and how she had gotten here. Her anxiety began to creep in, and soon all of the unanswered questions filled her mind, and it was all she could think about.

Kait was determined to find out the answers to all her questions, and she began getting out of the bed. And as she did, she realized one setback: she wasn't wearing any clothes. Kait began blushing, for she was modest about her body. She looked down, and realized that she had a pretty figure. Sure, she wasn't nearly as old as Rikku, and she didn't flaunt her body as much as the peppy Al Bhed, but she still felt her body was beautiful. Unfortunately, her uncovered, developing body did little to ease the situation.

She looked around the small room, and not seeing her clothes anywhere, she took the sheet off of her bed. She wrapped it around her body and tied it carefully so it wouldn't come undone. She new outfit looked much like a toga, only more crude. She opened the door and began searching down the hallway.

Kait wandered down the hallway, searching for someone to explain what was going on. She had forgotten about Rikku and Cloud, as the more pressing matter of finding clothes consumed her thoughts. She opened and searched empty rooms, and her hopes dwindled little by little. She just had exited her tenth room when she spotted a small closet on the opposite wall. She walked to it apprehensively. Kait grabbed the metal handles, and slowly opened the closet doors. Inside were robes; all of them were identical. She wondered little about why they were here, and hurriedly grabbed a deep purple robe that seemed her size.

She made her way back to the room she had woken up in. She shut the door after making sure no one was around, and undid the makeshift sheet toga around her slender body. The sheet left a pleasing sensation as it slid off her skin. Kait stood there for a moment, bare, trying to keep the sensation from leaving. But it left, and she returned back to reality. Kait slipped into the robe and found that it surprisingly fit perfectly. It contoured her body, accentuating her small curves. It was rather lightweight, and it felt silky smooth on her skin. The robe looked familiar somehow, though Kait couldn't exactly remember. She searched her room once again for anything at all and, finding nothing, left.

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"Welcome back."

Rikku looked at him funny, wondering what he meant. She began to sit up, and her loose blonde hair fell over her face. "What?"

Cloud looked at her. The Al Bhed was so beautiful. He looked at her face, her emerald eyes questioning him. He smiled and flashed his large teeth. "Just fulfilling a promise," he muttered, more to himself than to answer Rikku. Rikku smiled, not at anything, but just because she was so happy. She rolled over and fell back into a blissful sleep. Cloud stroked her bare back for a while with the back of his hand, not wanting the romance to end. He fell asleep quickly too.

Rikku was still sleeping, and her dreams recalled all of the excitement and happiness from the night before. She mused over it, the night being the most memorable and happiest of her life. She began weakly waking up, herself still on the floor. She looked so peaceful, lying naked on the floor with but a sheet covering her body. She smiled, recalling the passion of the night yet again. But as she became more awake, startling questions arose-- was it night then? What time was it now? Rikku looked around the room for a window, to indicate what time of day it was. But there were no windows, and besides, they were in space; there was no day or night. Rikku laughed a little to herself to calm her foolish anxieties. She rolled over to see her sleeping Cloud. But he was not there; the only thing that her eyes found was the small towel Cloud had worn. Rikku was still caught up in the euphoria of her passionate night, and so didn't worry over it. She assumed that he had just awoken before her, and was elsewhere in the room.

Rikku sat up, the blanket falling off her shoulders, exposing her chest. Before she could even look for Cloud, her eyes spotted something peculiar- her clothes. Rikku had wondered why she was naked when Cloud had come in, and just assumed her had taken them off without her noticing. But she was almost certain the clothes weren't there last night. She crawled over to them, making sure they were hers. Upon passing, Rikku quickly put them on, her modesty catching up to her. She found her dress spheres and items lying by the clothes, and took them with her. Clothed, Rikku was ready to explore the ship some more, after she had found Cloud of course. Rikku walked over to the mirror to straighten her hair; even though there were only three people on board, she still wanted to look her best. Rikku toyed with her unruly hair and braids, and she combed and tugged at them with her fingers. Finally, Rikku had smoothed and untangled her hair enough to look presentable, in her opinion. She turned around to begin looking for Cloud, when yet another object caught her eye. Except, this object was alive; it was person. The person smiled maliciously and muttered, "Well, don't you look pretty."

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Kait had searched the hallways at least twice now, and still she had found no trace of Cloud or Rikku. All the rooms were identical, and Kait was lost in the middle of them. She was scared, confused, angry, and worried. She went back down the hallway, looking so closely for something unusual, she almost missed it. It was a door-- a door different than any of the others. It was rather small, and it looked like it was made of stone. Kait didn't care though; she was too excited about finding something, that she could not have cared less what is was or where it led to. She touched the large stone door first, to make sure it was real. Surprisingly, the stone didn't feel cold, but warm. She tugged on the handle, but the door wouldn't budge. Kait tried pulling again; then she put one foot on the door, grabbed the handle with both hands and pulled as hard as she could. The door didn't move at all. Kait grabbed firmly onto the handle and then put both feet against the stony door and pulled again with all her might. She let go, exhausted. She stared at the door, knowing that behind it lay what she was looking for. Kait sat on the floor for a moment, panting heavily and trying to think of anything that would help pry the door open. But nothing came to mind.

Exhausted, both physically and of ideas, Kait almost missed hearing the footsteps coming down the hallways. She heard a faint conversation, and not knowing whom it might be, quickly ducked into the nearest room. She had the door barely open, so that she could see through the crack, but they probably couldn't see her. Two cloaked figures came into view, both wearing almost pitch-black cloaks. Their hoods were drawn, and they both were facing the stone door, so Kait couldn't see who they were. Both had stopped talking and a faint light was shining out of their hands. It grew until it was the size of a large plate, and then the duo stepped into the door. The light flashed, and when Kait could see again, neither the magic bubble nor the cloaked figures were there.

Now, Kait knew she had to get behind that door; but she had no idea how. She walked over to the stone door, hoping the magic hadn't worn off yet. But the stone was just as hard as before. Knowing that the handle was useless, Kait figured she had nothing to lose by trying to summon the magic. Sure, she had never used magic before and she had no idea what she was trying to conjure up, but Kait figured it at least deserved a try.

Kait put both of her hands out, both almost touching the door. She began concentrating, telling herself to open the door. She bit her lip and then closed her eyes, concentrating more. One thought flew through her mind. _Open… open… open!_ She sensed light through her closed eyes and she felt it growing stronger and brighter. She was growing overjoyed, but she kept focusing. The light took over and, even with her eyes closed, it seemed as bright as midday. Next came a large explosion, something very unexpected. Kait lost her focus, and was flung onto the floor by the force of the explosion. She weakly opened her eyes to see what she had done. Smoke was everywhere, obscuring her view of the door. Her arms and legs felt so weak and damaged, that Kait didn't know if she could walk over to the door. She sighed, both frustrated and disappointed.

Kait closed her eyes, since that seemed to dull the pain. She lay there while the dust and smoke started to settle and then was aroused by voices. There were at least two-- one was deep and intimidating; the other, smart and cunning. The voices seemed to be startled, or at least confused, by something. Kait smiled; knowing she had confused her captors gave her a brief pleasure that masked the pain from the explosion. Bu her happiness was soon ended for she heard the voices grow louder and footsteps come closer. She was scared stiff, and she hoped that maybe if she did not move, then maybe the men might not see her. But the voices only grew louder, and the footsteps echoed on the floor. Kait readied her body for action; her muscles tensed, her heart beat faster, and her hearing seemed to improve. She looked frantically for the men, hoping to see them first and somehow ambush them. But by the time her eyes lay on the figures, the smoke was all but gone, and the three of them were completely visible.

One of the men spoke, the one who had the sly voice. He looked at her catiously, examining her, and then squinted in disbelief. He turned to his larger friend. "It can't be," he whispered. "She couldn't..."

She was defenseless, and her strength was draining. Desperate, she did the most obvious thing. "Who are you?" She glowered at the man. "What do you with me? Where's Cloud? Where's Rikku?"

He was taken back again. "Cloud... Rikku... you know them?" Kait was startled; they knew Cloud and Rikku, but did not know that she knew them? But then they could not be captors...

"Why are wearing that robe? Do you know what it means?" the other man asked.

Her mind was racing. She was tired, and her mind was not responding as quickly as it should. "What?" She looked down, and seeing the robe remembered. "Oh, this! I found it, see I couldn't-- wait, why?" She squinted at him. Kait wondered why that was important. "I'll tell you," she added, "if you tell me who you both are first."

The two men looked at each other. The shorter man nodded, and they turned back to answer Kait's question. But she was out, too tired to pay any more attention. The men walked over and the larger picked her up carefully and held her in his arms. "What do we do now, Jackal?"

The shorter man, Jackal, looked up at his friend. "We wait."

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Everything was black. Even with his eyes open, he could see nothing. It was damp wherever he was, but worse, it was humid. Sweat was running down his face and chest, but it was warm and sticky. He touched it with his hand and brought it to his lips. He licked the sticky liquid. But it was not sweat- it was blood. His eyes shot open, revolted. He could feel the blood all over his skin, hardening from the heat. He looked up, and still there was nothing but darkness. Cloud got up to explore where he was when he heard metal clanking. He turned his head to the noise, and it clanked again. Hesitantly, Cloud moved his bloody hand to his neck; it touched a metal ring. He traced it with his fingers, and found a chain coming out of the back. "Chained to the wall like a dog," he muttered, anger beginning to flare.

He sat back down, and the surprisingly cold floor sent goose bumps up his back and down his legs. He looked back down to the ground and seeing nothing else to do, prepared himself to sleep. But a faint light shone down from behind him, and Cloud could see all of the cuts over his body. The blood was still wet and sticky, but he felt relatively no pain. He could not remember anything about the cuts. The blood revolted him, and he looked away from his body and at the light. There was a small square in the wall with crossbars running through it. "Prison...wonderful..."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that... but I'm glad you're comfortable." Cloud turned his head towards the voice, and the metal chain clanked against his back. He winced in pain, but still stared where the voice had come from. It seemed so familiar; Cloud was sure he had heard this voice before.

"Show yourself, you coward!" His command echoed around his cell, but only silence answered back.

He waited, listening intently for the slightest of sounds. But after what seemed thirty minutes, Cloud gave up. He was alone, again. He walked around, testing the length of the chain. It seemed about five feet, and so that was as far as Cloud could walk. A semicircle with a radius of five feet. It was not a lot, but at least it was something; at least his arms and legs were not chained.

The heat was becoming unbearable. Cloud was covered in blood, all dried and hardened. He continued to sweat, but it was warm and did not help. There was so much heat, and barely any light--Cloud wanted to know where he was. But also, he wanted to know where Rikku was.

The last thing he remembered was Rikku. They had been on the ground of her room, a towel his only clothing. It had been a passionate, wonderful night. He had awoken first, and said hello to her; then she went to sleep. He remembered hearing something, getting up… and then nothing. His memory stopped there. So, that noise must have been his captor, the man who had mocked him. _But who was he? And where is he right now?_

Feeling defeated and depressed, he slumped onto the ground and hung his head. He saw again his bloody cuts and cursed his tormentor. But his cries just echoed around him. He looked up at the small grated window and made a vow. "I'm going to find you. And when I do…"

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Everything was foggy; she could not remember a thing. Her mind was aching, and she felt odd sensations on her arms and legs. She weakly opened her eyes, the lids fluttering for a moment due to her fatigue. She still could not see anything. The blonde moved her hands up to her forehead, trying to ease the pain. "Oww... Where am I?"

The young woman stopped rubbing her head and brought her arms back down. But her right hand hit something on the way, something large, heavy, and around her neck. She tried twisting it with both hands, but the thing would not budge. She tried some more, but to no avail. Frustrated, she slammed her hands down on the ground and stuck out her lips. She was pouting. As she was looking down, she spied her legs, and gasped. Cuts and bruises littered her once flawless legs. Her eyes were wide as she tried to rationalize. "Wha- what happened?" She looked around her, but there was nothing but darkness. "Where am I?"

She heard some sort of machine move, as if something was opening. She faced the direction of the sound, afraid of what might be coming out. Light began slowly filtering in, until the room was only half dark, and the scared girl could see basic outlines. The figure in front of her, the one that had come through the door, looked to be a person. It walked closer, and it looked unarmed and harmless. But she was not going to take any chances, and she scooted away from the advancing form. Unfortunately, she could go only so far, since her neck was chained. The figure grew closer and closer, and the echoes of the footsteps grew louder and louder. Finally, it was but a few feet away. She looked up at it and, seeing his face, gasped. The figure, a man, stepped closer and knelt down.

"Cid's girl, how's it going?" He flashed a smile, but it was lost in the darkness. He inched closer to the imprisoned Al Bhed until he right next to her. Rikku was breathing rapidly, scared and relieved at the same time. She could not believe Gippal was here.

"How? How did you get on the _Cygnet_?" She stared at him, hoping to herself he was real and not imaginary. To make sure, she put her hand on his shoulder; it was solid. Then to be absolutely positive, Rikku moved her hand onto his cheek. It was slightly cold, but it was real. Gippal grabbed her hand and kept it on his cheek. His hands were cold too. "Gippal, you're so cold. What happened?"

He looked at younger Al Bhed. He shrugged, not wanting to answer her question, at least not yet. He pulled on her hands and managed to pull her onto him. He wrapped his arms around her slender body. Rikku could feel her warmth draining out of her. She looked into his eyes, rich and green. A smile began creeping across her face and she rested her head on his chest. He readjusted himself slightly to accomadate, and then put his head on hers. He stroked her back for a little. "Rikku, I'm so glad you're okay. I was so worried."

Rikku looked up at the older Al Bhed. She was glad that he cared, but it seemed more than that. Something about him seemed different. She pushed his arms off and sat down next to him. "Well," she said, "how'd ya get here?"

He looked at her, and then looked down at the ground. After a few seconds of silence, he looked back at Rikku. "Rikku, we're not on the_ Cygnet_. This is the _Corinx_."

She did not believe him. "You-- you're saying I'm not on the _Cygnet_? I'm on some other ship? Gippal, what do you mean? We're in space! You can't just switch ships whenever!" She was standing up now, her arms stretched out to emphasize her last statement. She sighed and looked down at the blonde. "And besides, I think I would remember switching ships." She had won. There was not a thing Gippal could say to disprove that.

He chuckled and stood up as well. She looked at him, trying to figure out what he might pull. "Rikku," he put his hands on her shoulders, to her slight discomfort, "you were sleeping. Remember?"

She stepped back, but the chain grew taut and she fell over. She furrowed her brows and began rubbing her head. "That hurt." She looked up at Gippal who was just standing there. "Aren't you going to help me?" she whined. Gippal looked at her funny and then chuckled. He put out his hand and helped her up.

"Hey, why am I chained up anyways? You're free! What kind of ship is this?" She pointed around for a little, and then poked him in the stomach with her index finger. He stepped back a bit, but still did not answer. As she was staring at him, waiting, Rikku thought she saw a little hole where she had poked him; and in the hole were little flames. She blinked a few times and rubbed her eyes. Gippal's stomach seemed normal now; perhaps she had just imagined it. She was about to ask him again when the machines started up again.

Gippal looked to the sound and said, almost apologetically, "Sorry, I have to go!"

Before Rikku could say anything,Gippal turned around and kissed her. She did not resist, but she did not kiss back either. He stepped back, and Rikku was just dazed. "I love you," and he left her back in the darkness.

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Well, what do you all think? I hope you're a little confused, I'm trying to build up suspense. Did it work? Well, I've started chapter 15 already, so it shouldn't be too long til that's posted. Please review, and thanks for all the support. ---AntiMusicMan


	15. XV: Alone

**Chapter XV: Alone**

"Oh... I had the weirdest dream. I was on some weird ship, and then these two robed men, and then an explosion..."

Kait was just beginning to wake up. She was still half-asleep, but her alertness was relatively high. She was musing to herself about her dream and she rubbed her eyes. When she stopped, and she looked forward, she saw two fuzzy figures in the corner. Not knowing who they were, she hid back under her blanket and pretended to be sleeping. She thought it had worked, until one of them pulled back the blanket and exposed her.

"Good mornin' sleepyhead," Kait was surprised to hear the brute say. Although his voice was deep and rough,it had a calm and soothing tone in it. She sat up, still not knowing them and still afraid. The brutish man sat down at the edge of the bed and introduced himself.

"Hello, I'm Hakaar. Me partner over there is Jackal." Jackal gave a curt nod, and then went back to his meditating. "We're warriors sent ta eliminate 'e Twilight Clan."

Kait nodded, as if she understood. Unfortunately, she did not; she had no idea who the Twilight Clan were, let alone why they needed to be eliminated. "So, um, how did you both get here? I was attempting to open that stone door with magic, when something exploded. Then you guys appeared."

Hakaar cracked a smile and looked back to his partner. Jackal was still in meditation, and was oblivious to Kait. Kait stopped her ramblings when she saw him do this, and Hakaar was quick to answer the question on her mind.

"Lass, that magic, an' 'e explosion, that was us. That was us teleportin' here." He smiled apologetically. Jackal had finished his meditations and approached the bed. He looked into Kait's eyes, his much darker and colder than Hakaar's.

"That was my magic you felt, not yours," was the only reply he made to the conversation.

Kait dropped her head and sighed. _So I didn't use magic..._ She looked back up at the two, her disappointment masked. The three waited in silence, none of them wanting to talk next. Then Kait giggled and stuck out her hand. "I'm sorry. I'm Kait. Pleased to meet you Hakaar." She shook hands with the warrior. "And you, Jackal." He did not shake her hand; he just nodded. She pulled her hand back awkwardly and sighed.

"Now, why were you trying to open the stone door?" Jackal asked, with a hint of warmth.

"I saw two men, both clothed in black cloaks, kind of like mine, enter through there. And I just felt that-"

"You _felt_?" Jackal interrupted. He was a rational man, despite his mastery of something as imaginative and erratic as magic. Hakaar glared at Jackal, displeased that he would rudely interrupt. He looked at her for a second and then tried to brush it off. "Sorry," he muttered under his breath.

"Anyways, I felt that whatever was past that door was where my answers were. And maybe, Cloud and Rikku." Her voice grew softer when she mentioned the couple. Hakaar and Jackal seemed affected by the mention of their names as well.

"Well, let's go!" Kait and Jackal turned to Hakaar, Kait caught off balance by his free spirit. He reminded her of Rikku in that sense. "We aren't doin' any good sittin' in here. Ya said that they might be down there, we should go an' find 'em!"

A smile overtook Kait's face. She was liking Hakaar more and more. The two men seemed like such opposites; Kait wondered how they were partners. She jumped off the bed and stood next to Hakaar, both ready to go. They looked expectantly at Jackal, who tried to ignore them. He shook his head in disbelief and scratched the back of his head. He sighed. "Very well. Let's make it quick."

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Cloud had wiped as much blood off his skin as he could. Some still remained, too hard to rub off, and the extreme heat continued to torture him. He had no idea how long he had been down here in the cell. Night and day had no meaning; the light was constant, and all he could do was sleep. He had tried destroying the chain connecting his neck to the wall, but although it was rusted and worn, he could do nothing to it. He was weak, and besides that, losing his mind. Escape had been his first thought, but when that became impossible, Cloud's thoughts drifted to Rikku. He hoped with everything that she was okay, that somehow she had been spared torture like this.

Hunger had consumed his thoughts for a while, but he learned that he was being fed. What it was, and if it was edible or sanitary were questions left unanswered. Every so often (Cloud guessed about twice per day) something sloppy and goopy would be pushed into the cell via the small window that shed light. Cloud would then eat whatever he could off the floor. Under normal circumstances Cloud would have ignored the food, but these were not normal.

During one of the times where Cloud was barbarically scarfing down the slop, he was paid a visit. Cloud first heard the machines whirring as some sort of door opened. The darkness had heightened his senses of hearing and smell. A vague figure stood in the doorway; he could not tell whether man or woman, or whether or not it was the same person as before. Either way, Cloud stopped eating, and wiped his mouth and hands. He may have a few cuts and be naked, but Cloud was not going to let his torturer enjoy the pleasure of seeing him as a pig. The figure continued to approach Cloud, and the form was becoming clearer and clearer. It was not until it was right in front of him that Cloud could determine who is was. But it left him breathless and in shock.

In front of the prisoner stood a beautiful woman. She had long, dark-as-night hair that fell loose off her head. Her arms and legs were long and thin, though by no means weak. She sported a tight, figure-hugging robe that exploited her curvaceous body. But her eyes were the assets that commanded Cloud's attention. They were round and innocent, yet scarred; deep and full of feeling, and yet obstinate. Her eyes seemed so familiar, but Cloud could not figure out why.

He stammered out, after about a minute or so of awkward silence, "Who are you?"

The woman gave a brief, small smile. She then crouched down on the ground next to the terrified and intrigued ex-SOLDIER. She extended her hand and touched his knee; he quivered. The woman slowly and sensually began advancing her hand, delighting in his quivering and timidity. Her fingers had just reached the top of his thigh when Cloud broke of the seductive spell. "Please," he asked sincerely, "just tell me who you are. That's all I want."

She obeyed, and quickly skirted her fingers back down his leg until they reached his feet and then met only the air. She looked slightly offended by his prudence, but she hid it well from Cloud. She looked down for a moment, contemplating something. She looked back at the blonde man, and before she could say anything, Cloud asked another question. "Is there any other prisoners here? Or am I the only one?"

The woman smiled to herself. Things were working perfectly, well as close to perfection without actually being. She leaned forward, pushing her breasts forward with her arms. She could sense Cloud's attraction to her body, and she was pleased. "There is one other," she said slowly and quietly, which grabbed even more of Cloud's attention. The woman crawled over to Cloud and sat right in front of him. Neither of the two spoke; Cloud too preoccupied with keeping his dignity, and the woman adding to the suspense and seduction. The woman fell onto Cloud, her head and bosom on his chest, and her stomach on his thighs. She could feel his muscles tense, and, despite all his efforts, his attraction grow. She looked up into his face with innocent eyes, as if it had been an accident.

Seizing the opportunity of the prisoner being in shock, the visitor slid herself up more, until her head was almost level with his. She wrapped her hand around his head and pushed it down onto her lips. She kissed passionately, but still reserved. The shock began to melt away as the woman invaded his mouth, and Cloud began to kiss her back. She pulled away and loosened her robe. She pulled it down until it was draping over her shoulders and falling gradually off. This revealed a rather tight and too small, white top that emphasized her endowments. Letting Cloud catch a long and good look first, she flung herself back onto him, and the two began kissing again. The woman had her arms draped over Cloud, and began trailing her fingers on his back. She was going down, and when she reached his lower back, Cloud stopped kissing. She looked at him longingly, knowing he desired her body just as much as she wanted him. He looked down at the cell floor, ashamed and crestfallen. "I can't," he said.

She understood and stopped her advancements. She got off of his sweaty body and stood up, causing the robe to fall off completely. Underneath, she wore but the almost bursting top and tight black shorts. She saw the glimmer in his eyes, the desire for her body. But, the glimmer quickly left, as he shook his head and looked away. "I told you, I can't! I love her."

"But does she love you, Cloud?" He turned at this question to see a large mirror next to the beautiful woman. It was clouded, but as it cleared, he saw two people in it. Both had bright yellow hair, and both were snuggled up together. Cloud leaned in to see better, but the chain on his neck stopped him like a dog. The two figures were kissing, rather passionately, and they both were shirtless. The couple fell onto the ground, the woman landing on the man. Both had stopped kissing and were smiling and laughing. The man's face looked very familiar, but like the woman's eyes, Cloud could not remember from where. This woman's face was covered by her long, braided hair. The man pushed aside her unruly hair, revealing her face. Cloud stared, not believing his eyes. He first denied it, then realizing the inevitable, grew angry. And then all of the memories flooded back. The man, the one who was with _her_; he was that Al Bhed, Gippal. And he turned to the woman in his cell, and could not believe he had forgotten her.

"Tifa," he said, remembering her, "but how? Why?"

"He left me, Cloud. I couldn't understand why at first, but now I do. Can't you see it?" Tears were beginning to form in the fighter's eyes. "I loved you, and then you disappeared. Do you have any idea how that feels?"

Cloud did not say anything. But he did know. He felt that way when he first landed in Spira. He missed everyone, but her most of all. But could he tell Tifa that now —no.

"I was recovering, when Gippal came. We fell in love, but it was nothing like what we had. I secretly just wanted you – nobody could've ever taken your place." The tears began rolling down her eyes, and then anger flared up inside. "She took you from me, but both of us were happy with our new lives, so it was okay. But now – after she not only took you from me, but also left you for him — you still love her? Cloud, that doesn't make any sense!" It was too emotional, and she fell onto the ground sobbing. Cloud wanted to comfort her, but the chain prevented him from getting any closer. And he still did love Rikku, but he was beginning to second-guess that.

"Don't you see? This is our second chance," Tifa said in between sobs. "I love you Cloud."

Cloud was stuck, between his old lover and his new. He was connected to both of them, but circumstances had skewed his emotions. He did not know what to do; he knew not what to trust or feel. He was in the eye of a storm; no matter which way he went, it was going to tough.

He choked out, "I'm sorry." Tifa's tears began trickling down her cheek. "But I love her."

The tears streamed down her cheeks, but Tifa was past her limits. She screamed at him. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU! SHE OBVIOUSLY DOESN'T LOVE YOU! YOU'RE JUST SO STUPID!" Tifa was right next to him now. She picked him up, pinching his skin and hurting himbut not caring. Her eyes were no longer the mysterious, innocent, alluring eyes they had been before; they were now red hot, fiery, and mad as hell. She flung him across the cell, and did not even look back as she left. Cloud was bleeding anew; his back felt crushed but his heart felt even worse.

He was alone yet again in the darkness. Alone, truly alone. He had abandoned his last chance. "What have I done?"

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Sorry, about the shortness, but I updated pretty quickly (I think). I'm proud of myself. Things are getting really weird aren't they? Please read and review, and always, suggestions are welcome.


	16. XVI: City of the King

**Chapter XVI: City of the King**

Tifa left the torture cell and began to grin. It might take longer than expected, but she knew Cloud was going to betray Rikku. She walked down the pitch-black hallway and walked into a side room. There, though everything still dark as night, she met up with Gippal. He was smiling too; obviously their plan was working. The two stared into the other's lifeless eyes and shared a passionate kiss. As they held in the embrace, dark vapor swirled around them, and when it had dissipated, two very different forms stood in their place.

The male, dressed in lavish and ornate clothes, smiled, revealing a set of vampiric teeth. "My queen," he said to the female figure, "I believe everything is turning out perfectly."

"Yes, Caefa," replied the shadowy woman, "soon nothing will stand in our way. Once the _haranae _rejects the _nimbus_, nothing will be able to stop us."

* * *

The three had searched the ship thoroughly, but they found no traces of Rikku or Cloud. They left the ship to find themselves in a beautiful courtyard. A large font lay in the middle, and lush, blooming flower bushes littered the garden. Before any of them could even remark at the beauty, a man shouted to them. "Desistete! Qui estis? Cur huc estis?" 

The three turned around, frightened to see a man pointing a large spear at them. Jackal whispered into both Kait's and Hakaar's ears, "He speaks a language so archaic, even I don't understand. We should silence him now, before reinforcements arrive."

Kait signaled no to Jackal and whispered back: "Wait, give me a minute; I think I've heard this strange language before." She began searching her brain for the answers, and no one saw her swan pendant glow.

"Exite! Statim!" the man shouted angrily, this time waving his spear in a direction behind the trio. Kait began to whisper to herself, and responded to the guard, "Desiste quaeso. Sumus avii et ostium spectamus."

Both Jackal and Hakaar were astonished to hear Kait speak the foreign tongue so smoothly; the fact that she could understand it, let alone speak it, was an accomplishment in itself. "Ya can speak to 'im lass?" Hakaar asked.

"Yah," Kait said, although she didn't sound very assuring. "It's like I know this language all along, but I had just forgotten until now."

Again, the guard interrupted, but this time he was less curt. "Please, go now. Leave before He catches you." Kait nodded, being the only able to understand. She escorted the two dumbfounded men out of the courtyard through a large, silvery gate. Inside of the gates were luscious vegetation and marble statues, but outside was much less lavish; old, collapsing houses were scattered up and down the crooked, moss covered streets. The only life in this slum was a few scattered dirty people and some mushrooms growing in the rotting wood.

Kait turned to ask the guard how the city became so crummy, but he had already left. Jackal tried the gates, but they were locked shut. Frustrated, Jackal began murmuring to himself and then started to walk down one of the roads. Not wanting to be left behind, Kait and Hakaar followed. "First things first," Jackal said mostly to himself. "We need to find out where we are."

"Okay, but it's not like there are people just lying around."

"Oh, there are plenty of people," Jackal responded with a mischievous grin. "You just have to know where to look."

* * *

Cloud was exhausted; his broken bones throbbed in pain; his cuts had scabbed over, but the dripping blood had dried into a sticky mess; his head throbbed from malnutrition. But as much as his body hurt physically, his heart hurt even more emotionally. His heart was torn between two women he cared for deeply, Rikku and Tifa. But after what he had just witnessed, he began to question Rikku's love for him; and after Tifa's outbursts, he was beginning to question hers. 

He did not know how much time had passed since his talk to Tifa; the small window had been closed since the encounter. Since he could do nothing else in his torture cell, Cloud had begun to think over what had happened. As he did, one particular thing struck him odd: Tifa. If that really was her, and if she really did love him, why was he locked away? If she loved him, would not she free him? The more Cloud pondered this, the clearer it became: either Tifa was trying to use Cloud, or that woman was not Tifa. And either way, she obviously cared next to nothing towards him.

He looked down at his bloody body, but he could see nothing through the darkness. He could however feel his cuts and bruises, and he tried to scrape off the dried blood. As he was, tears began forming in his eyes, and they slowly flowed down his cheek; his sadness was not for himself, but for a nobler thought. He had begun worrying about Rikku. If they were torturing him, would not they be torturing her? His new concern drained away the pain, and this new surge of energy invigorated Cloud. Now with something else to do besides muse about the macabre situation, Cloud began formulating a plan of escape.

* * *

The stench was the first thing to greet the three as the entered the room, and it was pungent. The smells of tobacco, alcohol, and heavy make-up all mingled together to create this horrendous stench. It startled Hakaar and Jackal at first, for it was stronger than they were accustomed, but it did not bother them much. Kait, on the other hand, was repulsed by the horrid smell and became nauseous. She grabbed her nose and mouth and motioned to Hakaar that she would wait outside. Jackal searched around the bar and then sat down at a table of smoking men. They all eyed him at first, but they gave no trouble. Hakaar came up behind Jackal, quickly inspected the men, and then pulled up a stool. 

"So… what's up with the castle? Why do you guys have to live in the dumps?" Jackal asked, trying to break the ice. All of the men looked at Jackal dumbfounded. After pondering a second, they went back to their cards, but they remained silent.

Jackal looked over to his partner, who looked equally shocked. "What are they, dumb?" he whispered quite loudly. Hakaar elbowed Jackal to remind to keep his cool.

"Quid vis? Si nullum, exite," one man said rather irately. Then it dawned on Jackal that all of these people spoke that strange language the guard had spoken. This explained their looks and the quietness.

Jackal stood up and shouted for the whole bar to hear: "Can anyone understand me?"

Everyone stopped their conversations to look at Jackal, causing the whole bar to become utterly silent. No one answered him with words, but their facial expressions said enough. Jackal, humiliated, climbed off the table red with embarrassment. The conversations, the card games, and the usual clamor of the bar continued as Jackal and Hakaar began to leave.

"So only Kait can communicate with these bums. Wonderful!" Jackal muttered as the door swung shut behind them and they reached fresh air. Although she said nothing, Kait's eyes communicated her question. Jackal responded with only a frown and look of frustration.

Hakaar broke the tense, awkward silence. "We can't talk ta them, lass. Onle ya can."

"I'm not going in there; it's too disgusting."

This angered Jackal even more. "You do want to save Cloud and Rikku, right?" Kait nodded. "Well sometimes when you want to save someone, you have to make sacrifices." Kait nodded again, this time more slowly. After a moment of thought, she agreed to enter the bar again. Hakaar smiled, and although Jackal's mouth did not move, his contentment showed. Kait followed behind the robed men to enter the bar yet again. As soon as the three had walked in, the bar grew quiet and everyone stared at the trio. Jackal, ignoring the stares of the men, picked out a table towards the edge and the three sat down. After they saw that Jackal was not going to make a scene, the drunkards resumed their usual banter.

Kait hesitantly asked a man at their table, "Sumus peregrinators et ubi sumus?" As she spoke, her swan pendant began glowing a soft rose, much like it did when she first received it and when she talked to the guard.

The man looked at her, and then returned to his drink. He soon muttered, "Formosa, urbs regis." Kait nodded and turned towards Jackal and Hakaar. "He says we are in Formosa, the city of the king."

"Formosa… Formosa… sounds kinda familiar," Jackal whispered to himself as he grew into a pensive mood. "Ask him to draw a map of where it is."

Kait bit her lip, trying to formulate the words. "Um… Chartamne fabricare potes? Loci urbis?"

The man grumbled and looked away thinking. He turned back and asked for some paper. Jackal produced some and the man began scribbling on it. All the while, the sawn continued to softly glow. The man finished his rough sketch and turned the paper toward them so the three could see better. He looked at Kait, knowing only she could understand him. "Here is Formosa," he said, pointing to it with his pen. "It's on the largest continent in Ceres; it's the "greatest" city in the kingdom. But if you ask me…" the man stopped when he saw Jackal's and Hakaar's surprised looks. "What?"

"We can understand you. We can understand!" Jackal said too excitedly. The man just continued to stare, unphased by Jackal's elation. Before the man could continue again, Hakaar interrupted. "So if this is the "greatest" city, how come all I seen is a bunch o' slums?"

The man looked around before answering. "You have to be careful what you say," he whispered. "You never know when He'll be listening." After that, he got up, paid his bill, and left the bar.

"So," Kait said as she moved the map closer, "we're in the city of the king."

* * *

Everything was so confusing. After the incident on the _Cygnet_, all of her memories had blurred together into one, big chaotic mess. The only moment of clarity was brief; it was those loving hours she had spent with Cloud. That was the only moment Rikku could remember well, and it had given her a sense of security she had never felt before. But that feeling had vanished, and it was replaced by a glimmer of Cloud's saving her from this godforsaken cell. She figured it had been about six days that she had been imprisoned. It was dark and lonely, but Rikku preferred that to what had just happened. Gippal had appeared out of the darkness, and he was a welcome beacon of hope. But then he showed her something terrible— it was an obscene sphere showing the promiscuity of Cloud and another woman who Rikku thought to be Tifa. Through it all she was disgusted, although Cloud seemed to have no qualms about his venereal actions. She looked toward Gippal for comfort, but he seemed unusually aloof and did little to ease the situation. Dejected, Rikku had stopped trying to calm down and had begun bawling. Gippal soon left, and Rikku began to feel as if everything and everyone she loved was disappearing. 

Rikku was spending her days wallowing in her pain and sorrow; usually she was upbeat and very optimistic, but all of snowballing effects had taken their toll on her bubbly demeanor. Sure things could be worse, but not by much. Her usual attitude was concentrated all on the hope of her savior's, her knight's in shining armor, coming to rescue her. She fiddled with her braids; they were very dried and frayed. Normally she would be fretting over her hair, but these bleak circumstances had destroyed her trivial habits. She scrunched her legs up to her chest for warmth and security, and then rested her head on her knees. As she dozed off, a single tear trickled off her cheek as she thought: _I'm waiting my Cloud._


	17. XVII: The Guardians

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the places, people, themes, etc. from the Final Fantasy and/or Kingdom Hearts games, nor the Gauntlet Legends series.

**Chapter XVII: The Guardians**

The three, now able to fully communicate with the inhabitants of Ceres, quickly got to obtaining as much information about the King as they could. It didn't take long for the trio to discover that the King was disliked by everyone and downright hated by a few. In the peoples' eyes, he had unrightly held fast to his gift of power; he tolerated little dissent here in his capital city. It was to be his gem, a symbol for the rest of the planets of the universe; any speck or impurity had to be cut. And as in the process of gem-cutting, much of the jewel is lost in the purification.

Unable to reboard the airship, as the _Corinx_ was an imperial airship, the three were left to establish a base in the slums, where the oppressive imperial eye barely glanced. Here they had been able to recruit a handful of rebels courageous enough to actively seek ways of overthrowing the Usurper, their nickname for the King.

Jackal, Hakaar, and Kait were unsure of planning a massive insurrection, but the Usurper had possession of Cloud and Rikku. They just couldn't figure out why.

Kait was fed up with the excessive amounts of planning Jackal kept her busy with. They had been here in Formosa, the capital city, for almost a month now and she had left their underground hideout only a few times. She knew that somewhere on this world were the secrets to her past. Rikku had been the one to unlock the first glimmers of her memory. Kait knew Rikku would help her to unlock more. She couldn't understand why this was taking so long. Who knew what condition Rikku was in? Was she even in this city?

But Kait couldn't share her impatience with the two men. She had made that mistake after being cooped up for a week straight. Jackal immediately threw the pages he was researching down and glared at her. His yellow eyes lacked any warmth or joy that Kait had come to associate yellow with. Jackal was getting up and about to yell at her when Hakaar intervened. He kept Jackal sitting as he whispered something. Kait meanwhile stood motionless, scared that Jackal was going to snap her in half. As Hakaar escorted Jackal out to calm him down, he looked back at her and mouthed, "Please, not again."

Luckily for the energetic young girl their hideout was actually a network of safe houses. Kait excitedly began her own mini adventures exploring all the tunnel ways and learning the most direct and the most subtle ways of traveling through them. One of her favorite rooms appeared to be an abandoned playroom. It no longer connected to a house above it and so the room had been overlooked by the rebellion group. A few large, odd objects had been placed in here, but overall the room had maintained its previous look.

Kait quickly got around to dusting and organizing this room, her own secret getaway. The walls were once painted vibrant colors, and Kait did her best to scrub the grime and mud off. The dirt, however, kept the room looking as if it had been made specifically for underground, and soon Kait stopped trying to clean it. There was a bookcase loosely filled with large picture books. Some were in the native language that she was now able to understand, but a few were in a language even more ancient.

It was precisely one of these ancient storybooks that had captivated the girl. She couldn't read a single letter of the story, but luckily it was a children's picture book. The pictures had been preserved in that the book hadn't been opened for what seemed to Kait centuries. She began to ask if anyone among them could read the ancient language, but everyone dismissed her inquiries as childishness. She almost approached Jackal, knowing that he knew dozens of languages, but remembered how angered he had been before and decided against a repeat offense.

Kait plopped herself down on the dirt floor and placed the large book out in front of her. She traced her fingers along the raised lettering of the cover. For some reason she always thought about her family whenever she did this. Her mind would then drift to Cloud and Rikku, whom she sometimes felt were her brother and sister and other times her parents. Perhaps that's why she liked this book so much, because it made her feel loved.

The feelings disappeared as quickly as they entered her mind, and she opened to the first pages. It was a scene of the night sky, of darkness and the countless stars (or alternate worlds as Kait now knew). In the center of the two pages were two beings. They looked human, but they were bathed in a celestial light. The one on the left was a bright blue; the one to the right was red. Kait liked to imagine that the blue one was a boy and the red one a girl. The story made her happier if the glowing beings were more than just that, if they were human.

She turned to the next two pages. These depicted the pair surrounded by orbs of all colors and sizes. This polka dot-like pattern always made Kait giggle, because she didn't think that polka dots belonged in space. In took until the third or fourth time looking at these pages that Kait noticed that the orbs were actually being created by the two beings. Or they were playing with them, but Kait liked to think that the two were more important than to just be playing.

The next pages confused Kait. The two beings had become little swirls in a corner, as if they too were trying to become one of the orbs. But more distressing was the large dark shape that appeared to be chasing after the red and blue lights. It was swallowing the stars, Kait thought, because the only star on its page as inside the dark thing's mouth.

The next couple of pages showed the pair on the surface of a planet creating trees, animals, mountains, rivers, and finally people and buildings. However, the dark creature, too, settled onto this planet. It touched the people, and they became colored a purple. The two light beings, being red and blue, thought they had somehow contaminated the people by living so close together and so separated and lived in different cities. The people that followed the red spirit wore only red clothes, and those that followed the blue spirit only blue.

Kait turned the pages and felt the seam where a single page had been ripped out. However, this created two incomplete half pictures next to each other. The left page showed the red and blue spirits next to each other and beams shooting from their hands. The right page showed a single being, yellow, that held a key above its head. Kait was unsure if the red and blue ones were attacking the yellow spirit, or if the red and blue had combined to create the yellow one. Either way made little sense. It was this point in the story, on the second to last page, that Kait wished the most that she could read the words. But no matter how hard she tried to learn the language with the other books, she couldn't.

The final page showed the yellow being inside of a large heart-shaped barrier. The key was no longer inside of its hands, but outside, as if to free the yellow spirit. The red and blue people bordered this picture. Kait said that they had learned to live together, but was unsure of the role of the yellow spirit or the heart. Did they lock the yellow spirit inside, or were they trying to free it?

She didn't have long to ponder this again, though, for as soon as the final pages had been flipped, a low rumble reached her in the room. She dropped the book instinctively as her eyes darted to the single entryway. Nothing. No one. She got up slowly, so not to disturb the unnatural silence that hung in the air. Another rumble. And a boom. She ran back to the main rooms to see disarray.

Her eyes found Jackal's yellow slits in the confusion.

He gave her a smile, which seemed almost forced. "C'mon, it's time to go. The days of waiting are over!" he said above the hubbub and ran towards the nearest exit above ground.

It took her a moment to register what he said, and then she ran off to follow him. As soon as she left the room, another loud boom resonated within the tunnels. She turned to see the roof cave in. She ran faster after Jackal, worried and confused, but most of all excited.

* * *

Rikku had continued to wallow in her despair, wishing someone, anyone, would come to her. She would even welcome the sight of Tifa because at least it was another human being. But no one came; her only companion was the daily serving of food. But she could only despair for so long. Her spunk was core to her character; like a spring it may compress under pressure but inexorably will regain its true shape.

She had been in worse situations, though— the terrors of Bevelle, the Thunder Plains, the Farplane, and Sin itself.  
She was an Al Bhed— she had faced biting ignorance and racism.  
She had pledged her life as a guardian— she had traveled throughout Spira fighting the strongest of fiends.  
She was a Gullwing— she had uncovered frightening secrets and saved Spira from its own destruction.  
And yet, despite these strengthening experiences, what released the spring of her heart was her devotion to Cloud.

She loved him. Undeniably.

She loved him with her entire being, she knew that now. It was a love tempered by trial, strengthened by passions of love and anger. Her feelings for Gippal were strong but different; he was fun, a fling, but hardly a long-term boyfriend. She had been confused, unable to sort Gippal's extrovert, fun-loving nature over Cloud's subtleties.

Rikku had to escape. This was the not the way she was going to die, in an unknown dungeon by unknown captors, alone, before she had been able to be completely honest with her true love. The love she had felt before, the love she had expressed, was nothing compared to what coursed through her body now. She would escape, if for nothing else for him. For her Cloud.

She began by figuring out the size of her cell. Her green eyes had grown accustomed to the harsh brightness of the desert, and so her eyes were almost useless in the first weeks. Rikku's vast knowledge of machina compensated for her poor eyesight as she had learned to envision intricate details in her head.

All four sides were solid wall except for the small entryway that food dropped in. The walls, however, were not stone like Rikku had expected but metal, and this fact alone meant that she had a chance. And yet, despite groping every inch that her hands could reach and then looking up each wall once her eyesight grew accustomed to the perpetual darkness, Rikku could not locate the entryway through which Gippal had entered earlier. The closest thing she did find was a small, circular indent beneath the food chute, a hole just the right size for a sphere. Unfortunately a sphere key was not something that could be replicated easily, if at all. Size, shape, and weight mattered little because the content, the purpose, of the sphere is what activated as the key.

Still, this knowledge proved enough to give Rikku hope. She spent most of her time waiting for the daily food drop, for in those brief seconds light entered the area. It proved to be her only real opportunity to more fully understand her prison, but more importantly, was to be her means of escape.

After about a week of watching, she was ready. Rikku carefully scaled the wall as she had been able to manipulate parts of the metal into rough nooks for her fingers and toes. The food chute opened and, as the food began falling down, Rikku quickly scurried up before it closed.

She was cramped, could barely see or move, and had food slop dripping over her. But she had made it. She was all but free.

Rikku began climbing through the narrow metal chute as the gravity of the situation sank in. She didn't know how long it would take for her captors to know she had escaped, but she knew that she needed to long gone before that happened. Also, if she made any disturbance while escaping, that would end her hopes. But she was fueled by these challenges, eager to prove her wit and strength to herself. Eager to prove her love for Cloud could help her accomplish anything.

Rikku stopped her wiggling as she spotted light filtering through a grate. The light was soft and appeared almost green. She positioned her eyes alongside the grate and almost gasped. She hurriedly wormed her hands around and began to fiddle with the grate, trying to pry it open as quietly as possible. Sweat formed on her brow as she continued to work; her fingers had found the cracks they needed, but time was her biggest threat.

It seemed like a few hours, but Rikku finally managed to swing the grate open. She scurried out of the chute and quickly reattached the grate. Then she turned around to get a better view of her new surroundings. She breathed her first true breath of freedom as she scanned this tunnel. The faint light was coming from a reflection on the brackish water lining the tunnel. It wasn't any deeper than mid-calf and was barely moving. It smelled horrific and both ends seemed to lead further into darkness.

These sewers eerily reminded Rikku of the Via Purifico. And if there was any other connection besides her first impressions, than Rikku knew freedom loomed ahead. She shook her hair for the first time in weeks and was disgusted when her hair seemed to barely move. She picked some of the larger food chunks out but quickly decided she did not want to know what else was in her hair.

"Ew," she whined, her voice hoarse after weeks of silence. She cleared her throat, took a deep breath, and then ran down the tunnel in the direction she had been heading in the direction the water flowed.


	18. XVIII: Luck Be a Lady Tonight

**Chapter XVIII: Luck Be a Lady Tonight**

Rikku followed the flow of the sewage for about an hour, grateful there was enough light to see which direction to take when the pipelines turned and forked. There was an eerie silence, the only sounds her slight splashing as she waded through the middle of the tunnel. There was no squeaking of pipes or scurrying of critters. Not that she wanted to encounter any rats or more disturbing fiends, but the silence was almost as bad.

Rikku has quickly learned to get over the smell. She hadn't bathed in months, she guessed, so how much worse could this sewage be? However, the lack of necessity to be wary of other inhabitants allowed her to think more upon herself, mainly that she was defenseless. Her garment grids and dress spheres, essentials not only to her comfort but also now for her survival, had been taken. She hoped that somehow one or two had fallen down into the sewer and that perhaps she might be able to recover them.

Luck smiled upon Rikku as she turned a bend. She felt it inside her before she could see it, that something valuable, not in terms of monetary worth or rarity but rather from individual memories, lay nearby. She walked more slowly, trying to scan even more closely the smoothed walls of the pipes. Then she heard it; a faint clink as something solid bounced on the walls of pipe. Rikku bent down into the water, and though the smell intensified to an entire new level of repulsion, groped her hands blindly by her feet. She picked up the object, perfectly smoothed and rounded, that fit perfectly into her hands.

Rikku smiled an expression that would seem to have no place in such a pungent, remote place. But the sphere she held in her hands was nothing less than a dress sphere. She immediately engaged it, too giddy to check first which sphere it was, and a bright light shot forth from her hands, illuminating the dank tunnel ways. The light subsided and Rikku stood there amazed.

Her simple Al Bhedian clothes had been replaced by a vibrant yellow dress with a plunging neckline that seductively hung to her body. Carefully placed holes and rips littered the dress. Her legs were now covered in fishnets and her hands in orange gloves. The sphere no longer occupied her hands but rather a pair of large cards. Whether from instinct or habit, Rikku extended the cards into the air above her head and struck a pose. The transformation was complete.

Now truly with Lady Luck on her side, Rikku continued her trek through the sewer systems. Around her began to gradually smell better as her alluring perfume permeated and then diluted the rank air. She felt like her wandering now had a renewed sense of purpose. Both skill and luck were now tools she could employ to truly escape her capture, and now she could actually inflict damage if need be.

This thought had just floated through her mind when she stopped suddenly. Around the next corner, she had heard something, something that didn't belong in the sewers.

A human voice.

* * *

"Where's Iké?"

The small group of cloaked people made no response. The question was not important enough to warrant an answer.

The speaker, who was fairly short and skinny, spoke again, his nervousness not only audibly detectable but also physically, as he began to shake, "But di-didn't the mess- message s-ss-say that all n-new captains n-need-needed to repor-rt?"

But before the timid captain could be reprimanded for his annoying behavior, the doors to the atrium swung open.

A woman shuffled into the atrium. She walked silently, her robes rippling as if blown by an invisible wind. She walked with purpose toward the center where the loose group of figures waited. As she approached, a grin spread across her face.

"You all know why we are here," she began, "the time we have all been waiting for, working toward, has begun." Her statement was responded with an assortment of cheers and smug smiles.

The woman raised her arm, and silence fell. "Now then, you all have been receiving your assignments through courier up until now. However, this current state of affairs demands that nothing goes awry. Therefore," and she looked up for the first time, revealing a large hole darker than night where both her eyes should lie, "you will all report here, to our castle, directly."

As these directions some of the group tensed. The woman lowered her face once again beneath her cloak and continued. "Now is the test of your true intentions for joining the Twilight Clan." She turned to leave, and then added as if an after note, "I hope none of you disappoint us." With those words finished, she let out a chilling cackle and left the atrium.

The group looked at each other beneath the security of their hoods. None of them failed to detect the threat, nor her malice, if one of them should be found to be disloyal. Some looked as if they wanted to grumble against this additional measure, but none did. Now was not the time, nor was it the place, to appear unsupportive. They owed their entire lives now to the Twilight Clan, and in a second, it would take that and even more away.

The cackle dissipated after echoing throughout the stony castle walls. Silence hung for a brief moment only to be interrupted by a surprisingly peppy voice. "Well, y'all heard the lady. I gotta go now and settle some business before our next meeting." A somewhat forced laugh followed. "Until next time, buckaroos!" And with that, the speaker stepped through a portal of darkness, leaving the castle behind. The rest of the group followed suit, each returning to their respective homes, some burdened, others excited, about the news.

Back in the castle, the woman had entered the throne room. She rose from her bow and laid her eyes on the man sitting in the king's chair. "Now, nothing can stop _us_, my Lord."

* * *

Whereas Luck had seemed be in a favorable mood, Cloud did not enjoy any of her clemency. He had toiled incessantly for weeks, perhaps months, to try to devise a plan of escape. But the irregularity of his meals, lack of all light or sounds besides himself, and physical immobility due to the heavy metal chains that hung to his body had left Cloud deflated. He had barely enough strength to think straight, let alone try to coherently plan an escape. The thoughts of the torture that Rikku must also be enduring had fueled his resolve at first, but as he was unable to overcome any of his limitations, he was certain Rikku was powerless, as well. And that fact, that Rikku, the girl who meant the world and more to him, was alone, despairing, in a dank cell perhaps even in a worse condition than he, crushed his heart. His heart had experienced too much crushing pain and defeat already, but those pains disappeared completely when he was with, or even thought of, Rikku. But a heart can only endure so much; it can only weather the tempest of intense passions for so long before it, too, is overcome by the storm clouds. And a heart that beats only to survive, one no longer capable of holding onto hope or love in the loom of utter despair, was a heart that now occupied Cloud's body.

He first had grown increasingly more depressed as he began to realize his ability to feel slipping away. But sadness is a product of a hopeful heart, and soon too he no longer could feel self pity. He had accepted this fate, accepted his weakness, accepted his inability to have mattered. He could not save himself, but that did not worry him. Death would be an end to this torture. But he could not save Rikku, a woman so full of vivacity and love of life. For something so fiery and delicate to have to wither was beyond unfair, beyond the physical torture of his cell.

But as his heart seemed no longer capable of retaining any emotions, Cloud's mind wandered off Rikku, who was now but a memory. He thought of Tifa, Gippal, Leon, Yuffie, then to that pair of mysterious warriors that had sacrificed themselves to stop the Heartless, Jackal and Hakaar. Then his mind rested on Kait, the girl who seemed oddly connected to Rikku despite living worlds apart. He remembered that strange melody that she had played, the Hymn of the Fayth, as Rikku had called it. The ancient words of the song played inside his head. Whether it was the strange sense of calm the song seemed to have carried or the lack of food that made Cloud light-headed, he was unsure. But Cloud quickly drifted off into slumber as that ancient melody of Spira echoed inside his mind.

... ...  
This was not going to be easy. Everything had to work out as perfectly as it did in his mind, and he knew nothing ever did. Timing was everything. That was the major problem. There seemed to be no pattern in the visitations, and they had become less frequent since his last encounter. Whoever that woman was, she was trying to trick him into despising Rikku. But why? Both he and Rikku were captured, both were in little cells. Why keep them here? Why not—

The doors began to creak open, and Cloud furtively prepared himself. But something seemed wrong; the figure in the doorway was a new one.

"Hello, Cloud. Expecting someone else?" the voice asked malignly out of the darkness. "I'm terribly sorry to disappoint, but since your little outburst, we've had to be more careful."

_Why be more careful? _Cloud thought. _Why not just end it now? Why torment me with these mind games?_

"Oh, don't fret," the voice answered with mock compassion to Cloud's unspoken thoughts. "We'll end it soon enough. Just wait a tad longer. I promise it won't be long— is that okay with you?" Again the fake compassion ripped at Cloud. Something about the figure was familiar, but all Cloud could remember was meeting Hakaar and Jackal when he was searching for Rikku. Both were dead. And it was all his fault. He then remembered all the others who had died for him, who had sacrificed themselves for him.

"Now, now, Cloud." The voice was next to him. Cloud felt dark smoke swirl around the two of them. The man's features were still cloaked in the darkness, but still something seemed familiar. "It's not your fault. They _chose_ to try and save you. It was their decision. It's not their fault that you couldn't keep your end of the bargain and stay alive." The man erupted into maniacal laughter. Cloud was at his breaking point.

"You bastard!" he yelled as he lunged at the figure. However, the man swiftly sidestepped Cloud, causing Cloud to careen onto the stone floor. Cloud quickly got up and prepared himself for another strike. He lunged. The figure evaded. Cloud hit the stone. This strategy obviously was not working, but in his berserked stage, he could not think clearly.

"Give it up, you worthless beast!" the man spat at Cloud. "Learn your place! You're my prisoner; chained like a pitiful dog. You should be thankful I haven't killed you. But no," his biting tone cut into Cloud, "you just had to throw it all away!" Bright red eyes glowed from beneath the figure's hood and the smoke surrounding him began to dissipate. A feral man in a pitch black cloak stood before Cloud. Large, sharpened claws protruded past his sleeves. The figure smiled, revealing sharp, glistening fangs. "Well, if you seek death, as your master, it is my obligation to please you." Swirling dark magic streamed from his menacing claws and formed into large, bat-like wings.

Cloud had regained control of his mind. He knew the full extent of the danger he was in. Nothing had ever terrified him like this did. He had nobody to help him. He did not even have a weapon. He was chained in a desolate cell in who knows where. He was going to die. But worst of all, he would never see Rikku again. He could never tell her—

The beast roared as it shot into the air. It piercing eyes narrowed and suddenly a flash blinded Cloud momentarily. The cell was now lit up. Flying like a bullet towards him was the beast. His heart pounded. He frantically tried to escape. But to no avail. In mere seconds, he was going to die. "Rikku," he began to say.

He did not expect to be able to finish his thought. He thought he would be dead. But he wasn't. He looked up and saw a figure engulfed by the lights piercing the beast's flesh. A large lance had been thrust through its stomach. The being, an angel in Cloud's mind, pulled her lance out of the beast, sending a sharp pain through its body. It reeled in pain and let out an ear-splitting screech. His cloak fell back, revealing the distinct red ensignia of the Heartless. The lance plunged in and out of the screeching body thrice before it released its captured heart. The angel then turned to Cloud. The bright lights still were affecting Cloud, and he could not see what she looked like. But his hearing was fine, and he heard these two words: "_Mee Nimbe_."  
... ...

* * *

Kait had now narrowly escaped being buried alive three times. The excitement that came from this unknown earthquake had been eclipsed by the feeling of terror. However slight the odds, Kait couldn't find a single person missing; everyone seemed to have escaped safely.

Once everyone had gathered together in the single room and begun to quiet down, one of the leaders rose to speak. "This is it everybody! This is our time to shine, our time to purge this world of evil!" He sat down as Jackal stood up.

"These earthquakes that we just experienced we nothing less than a deliberate attack orchestrated by the Twilight Clan. They know that we are planning something big." He paused, letting the profundity of what was about to said sink in. Jackal sat down, and the man who had introduced Jackal now stood again and spoke, "We are going to spread across this world, and all worlds. Like a torrential wave, only getting stronger and larger as we near to our destination. We will completely crush these usurpers under our waves!" Cheers exploded as he paused. Kait looked over to Jackal and could see the smile on his face, see that he was proud of being able to strategize and lead.

"Thus I officially name this movement TSUNAMI. Now go out and cleanse this world with our purifying waters!" Cheers roared from the crowd, and even Kait, who was by far the youngest, felt herself compelled to clap wildly.

But just as the hubbub had crescendoed immediately after the man had spoken, it almost immediately died as another man rushed into the room. Wanting to pant but knowing the dire need to tell his message, he composed himself into a few seconds. "They've infiltrated the first defense. There are too many. Two captains…" The messenger then quickly ran off to spread the word.

The excitement from the rallying speech now had a concrete application. Everyone began hurriedly preparing themselves for battle. Some began sharpening blades, others tried to remember incantations, while still others were huddled, trying to clear their minds.

Kait, too, felt the fire building inside of her, but she couldn't help in anyway. She knew no magic, was no skilled warrior. In fact, she didn't even have a piece of weaponry or armor. Terror struck and she quickly ran over to Hakaar. He saw in her eyes the frantic emotions racing through her mind. He smiled, and extended his hand onto her shoulders.

"There, there, lassie. It'll be a'right. Ya jus' stay do'n here away from ev'ryt'ing." He then embraced her in the largest bear hug she had ever been given. It did make her feel better, but her being defenseless prevented full comfort.

Her brief moment of solace was also cut short by Jackal's talking. "Hakaar, we must go now. He awaits." And without questioning either to where or to whom, Hakaar let go of Kait and followed. The two quickly ran off down a pathway Kait wasn't sure she had seen before. Many others had also dispersed by now, leaving Kait to be guarded by only three men. Three men would've been sufficient, if _she_ hadn't appeared: one of the captains of the Twilight Clan.

She entered inconspicuously, merely walking in casually. Glided would've been a better term, Kait decided, as this woman had no legs. A dark essence, like an amorphous shape that billowed smoke, had taken the place of this woman's legs. Her legs were mostly covered by a long sailor skirt. In fact, her entire outfit reminded Kait of a school uniform. Her raven black hair fell perfectly down to the woman's mid-back. Her face was delicate and beautiful, but her eyes were strange. They held no emotion but merely stared forward.

She let out a small smile, but it was more malicious than good-natured, and Kait immediately began to run away. She heard a rumbling noise and a swoosh of metal, but kept running. It wasn't until one of the men let out a scream that she turned her head. Her innocent eyes grew wide as she saw the three guards dismembered and slaughtered on the ground before her. The woman turned, blood splattered across her face and clothes.

"Now it's your turn."

* * *

Cloud's eyes shot open, his body trembling. "Mee Nimbe," he muttered. He knew something was going to happen, a change big enough to end his pain, but whether through the freedoms of death or emancipation he knew not. But it no longer mattered, and his heart began to truly beat again.


	19. XIX: Gambling

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any persons, likenesses, geographical areas, concepts, outfits, catch phrases, or magic spells from the Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts and/or Gauntlet Legends series and franchises. If I did, I would be working on a killer video game for you all, but alas, I do not and so therefore also am not.

* * *

**Chapter XIX: Gambling**

Two wide listless eyes, completely disjointed from the carnage around them, merely stared as the imminent threat left those menacing lips. "Now it's your turn."

Kait could only in response. But her eyes swam in emotions. They trembled as tears began forming in the corners of her eyes. They dilated as terror pulsed through her body as the adrenaline began coursing through her veins. They focused not on the bloody bodies but on the bloodied killer; not on her soaked weapons or clothing but on her face, her completely lifeless face.

Kait wished in that moment that she had talked to Jackal about learning some magic spells; she wished she had spent time training with the others. Her mind replayed all the things she wished: rescuing Rikku and Cloud, exploring this world, finding her true family, deciphering the storybook. In the instant that she had remembered all of these things her mind had decided her final actions. Kait dropped her animated eyes from the paralyzing gaze and did what instinct had taught her.

She ran.

Unfortunately, the attacker had anticipated such a response. Before Kait could even run a few steps she felt wind blowing over her, grazing her hair and shoulders. One by one, almost simultaneously, large spears, swords, and even an over-sized shuriken were blocking her path. They had been thrown over her, missing whether by coincidence or skill Kait did not ponder, and now served as a barricade. Kait turned around as the female attacker spoke again.

"It wouldn't be any fun if you left. And certainly no fun," she began as she reached behind her back and pulled out a weapon, "if you were killed while running away. Cowards never do get any glory and neither do their assassins." Her lips curled into a grim smile.

"I'll give you until the count of ten to pick one of those weapons before you to fight me with. If you win," the woman paused, as if to indicate that no one had ever come close to besting her, "then you can keep it."

Kait couldn't move. Her mind screamed for her to try again and make a break for it. But in the deepest level of her heart was a feeling of peace that comes only in times of great purpose. She felt like she should fight— that she needed to fight. Her mind didn't have time to decipher why. Perhaps it was the honor of dying valiantly. Perhaps it was to prove to TSUNAMI, namely Jackal, that she too could contribute to the cause. And perhaps it was Fate tugging on her chord of life, alerting her of destiny.

"Three. Four."

Kait turned to examine the weapons in front of her. Intuition had said to stay and fight; Kait now hoped it knew how to. The swords seemed ill proportioned, some much too thick and other much too thin. The shuriken, if it could still be called that, was so massive and heavy looking that Kait was unsure if she could even pick it up. That left the spears, but there were still four of them of all different makes and styles.

"Seven. Eight."

There wasn't enough time to think clearly, to continue to sort through the rush of emotions. She couldn't listen to intuition this way; she could barely exert enough mental power to move her eyes.

"Nine."

It was all going to be over soon. She had a single second. And yet, in that fraction of time, everything cleared up. Her worries disappeared as Kait fell into a stage of transcendence. Intuition was now the loud voice screaming and her body a mere whisper that was stalling. She grabbed the spear— it was _her_ spear, both now and forever. Fate had converged with destiny, and Kait turned ready to fight.

"Ten. Oh, and you picked something. Perfect."

* * *

Cloud took a deep breath as he tried to figure out what had just happened. He was still in chains, horribly enfeebled, starving. He was also still alive. The figure, the beast, whoever or whatever it was, was gone. Defeated by a knight in shining armor.

Looking over at his savior, Cloud quickly realized she was no knight in armor. She was glowing, there was no doubt about that, but the little clothing she did have would be ill-suited for any practical fighting. Her dress was rather simple: she wore cloth strips of clothing held together by leather straps. The cloth ran in two pieces down her chest, covering her breast and not much else, before joining together to make a long front panel of a dress. Her long barren legs— for the "dress" was really only front and back panels— wore mid-calf boots. The impracticality but sensuality of the outfit reminded Cloud of Rikku, and he cracked a smile as her outfits flashed before his mind. He could hear her reprimanding him, "They're not outfits; they're dress spheres! And they're just as powerful a weapon as any machina you'd find."

The woman came closer to Cloud. He still couldn't make out her face—she had blond hair in intricate braids and something was covering her eyes. She held a long lancet in her hand as she drifted over. Drifted because extending out of her right back was a single, large wing: a one-winged angel.

The woman reached Cloud looked around him. In that instant, Cloud began to blush. It hadn't been a concern of his at all until now, but he was naked. He didn't have much strength to cover himself; all he managed to do was chuckle nervously and turn his head away, as if that would somehow reduce the shame.

He heard the lancet being placed on the floor, and he could feel the woman getting closer. There was a strange warmth emanating from her body. The soft glow also began to illuminate his cell, and as Cloud watched the figure's shadow, he saw her take the mask off her face. He heard her murmur something, but something he thought he could understand.

He turned his head slowly, not wanting to risk disappointment. Disappointment that she hadn't spoken his language. Disappointment that she couldn't do much more to save him. Disappointment that he wasn't the person she was trying to save. Disappointment that she would only make finding Rikku more difficult.

Before he could even get a look at the newly unmasked face, Cloud felt the woman's hair on him. He felt the warmth on his face. And he felt the soothing touch of lips on his own.

Cloud wanted to jerk away, wanted to stay faithful to Rikku. He didn't have the best record, but he knew now that Rikku was the only girl he ever wanted to kiss again. But there was something calming about this kiss, something that abated his concern… something familiar.

The woman pulled back, and Cloud finally was able to see her face. He first saw her large, beaming smile. Then he saw her eyes, two swirling green orbs. He saw himself in their reflection; he saw himself start to smile and then to let it all go. Cloud tried to avert his gaze to not let her see him cry, but she put her hand under his chin, preventing him from looking away. Through his own watering eyes, he saw waterfalls fall from those green eyes.

"Mee Nimbe. My Cloud."

Cloud extended his own hand and placed it gently against her cheek. He wiped away the stream of tears with his thumb and muttered, "My Rikku."

A few seconds passed, with the newly reunited lovers staring at each other's crying faces. Then suddenly Rikku collapsed into Cloud, who instinctively embraced her. She felt so warm, as if her love was physically radiating from her. All of his concerns— eating, being unshackled, finding clothes, escaping, understanding what had happened— dissipated from his mind as he held Rikku in his arms. None of that mattered to him anymore.

He stroked her back with his arms. He knew she was the not the one who needing comforting, but he could not override his masculine instincts to comfort and protect her. His fingers trailed up and down her back, briefly pausing at each leather band that wrapper around her body. His fingers wandered, trying to finding some sort of buckle or strap, but to no avail.

Rikku raised her body off Cloud's, disrupting his fingers' mission. She sniffled once and wiped away all the remaining tears. She looked down at Cloud and gave a coy smile. "Don't you know anything?" she said playfully as she moved his hands from her back onto her hips.

Cloud merely watched as Rikku used her own fingers to trace over his body. She started on his face, gently falling down his cheek, briefly pausing on his lips, and then sliding down his neck. One by one each finger followed this pattern. She then touched his shoulders, rubbing down and then back up his arms; her fingers danced onto his chest and followed the contours of his still well-defined body.

He closed his eyes and began rubbing Rikku's legs. He had not felt her body for a long time, and he was overly eager for what would happen next. He felt her fingers dancing around his belly button, every so often trailing down a little bit. He waited for her hands to reach his legs, waiting for the right moment to pull her in and make love again. He waited, but it did not happen. He opened his eyes as he heard Rikku giggle.

She shook her head playfully to answer Cloud's unasked question. "No, silly," she tried to say with as serious a tone as possible, "You're all gross and icky still!"

Cloud motioned to pull her in anyway, to feel her warm chest on his and give her another kiss. He didn't have the strength to force Rikku, but luckily for him, she let him lower her onto chest. Their lips and tongues expressed the passion building in their bodies. Cloud moved his hands once again up Rikku's legs, asking again for his request. She denied him by grabbing both hands and placing them on the cold floor. She pulled away from their kiss and shook her head again.

"You like this cell that much, huh?" She joked. "As cute as you are without any clothes on, don't you think we should get you out and all cleaned up?"

Cloud once again became self-conscious and blushed. He wasn't so much embarrassed by Rikku's seeing his naked body—she had seen it before— but something about the situation made bashfulness his response. However, he still had his sense of wit. "You're good with these, right?" He smirked as he held up the chains binding him to the cell.

Rikku pushed him over and stood up. "You're such a goof, you know that? Why can't you think about anything else right now?" she asked somewhat angrily.

Cloud looked at her blankly and replied matter-of-factly, "You're good with machina, right? So you can figure out how to undo my chains." He smiled to himself as it was Rikku's turn to feel embarrassed.

Rikku crouched down and fiddled around with the chains. She scurried over to where they were attached and tinkered some more. A few moments later, Cloud heard a clicking sound and felt his chains grow lax. Rikku walked over and pushed a small button on the shackles, releasing them. She stuck out her tongue to mock him. No longer bound by the chains, Cloud lunged up and gave Rikku another kiss before she could retract her tongue. She squirmed free and began wiping her tongue while saying, "Ewww. That's so gross!"

After she calmed down, Cloud turned and asked somewhat sheepishly, "You wouldn't happen to have any extra dress spheres, would you?"

Rikku started answering before she realized what Cloud was implying, "I don't have that many. I only reclaimed a few. Why? You don't appreciate this one?" She twirled around and struck a pose.

"No, I was wondering if I could use one…" Rikku didn't respond; she still didn't understand. "I don't have any weapons with me, let alone any clothes."

The light bulb went off, and covered her mouth as she burst out laughing. "Stop that," Cloud tried to say sternly, "this is serious."

Rikku composed herself and nodded her head. She began imagining how Cloud might look in her dress spheres. She had only ever seen herself, Yuna, and Paine activate them. She thought they always looked cute—well, Paine's outfits could've used some work— but she had never seen a man try to use them. She thought about her favorite, the Thief dress sphere, and couldn't help exploding in laughter again as she imagined Cloud in a pair of booty shorts and tank top.

By this time Cloud had walked over to Rikku, and he held her in his embrace. "You know," he whispered, "if you don't give me one, I'll just take them all, and then we'll see who's laughing."

"All right, all right. Geez, can't a girl just have a little fun?" Rikku pulled out her other dress sphere for Cloud. She only held one in her hands. "You don't have a big choice. I only have my Gambler dress sphere."

Cloud took the dress sphere apprehensively. He had seen Rikku in this outfit before and was unsure of what was going to happen when he activated it. Cloud wasn't even sure how to activate it. He looked plaintively at Rikku again. "You seriously don't have any others?"

Rikku shook her head as she bit her lips to prevent herself from grimacing. "It's that or nothing."

Cloud let out a deep sigh. "Well, here goes nothing." He swallowed his pride and activated the dress sphere. Light poured out from his hands and engulfed him. The sphere floated in mid air and then dissolved into the light. Cloud could feel clothes forming around him and some of his strength returning as the transformation finished. He couldn't explain why, but as the light subsided, he cocked his hip, folded his arms, and cracked a smile.

Rikku was more expressive, and the shock on her face unnerved Cloud. His eyes began to scan over his body as he asked, "How ridiculous am I?"

Rikku smiled and shook her head. "Not in the least bit. In fact, you look dashing." Cloud was not dressed as he normally would, but Rikku always found his style a bit strange. Too plain in her mind. Now it looked like he belonged in Spira, like he belonged with her. Cloud wore a short jacket that only covered his pecs; underneath he had red suspenders over a mesh top connecting to a pair of chaps that hit mid-calf. They had patches all over with different card suits and numbers. Underneath the chaps was a pair of tight shorts with a large red heart emblazoned on his ass. Multiple pouches were strapped to his arms, presumably holding cards, dice, chips, and cigarettes. A small hat rested in his hair.

"I suppose this is better than nothing," Cloud resigned.

"Definitely!" Rikku said as she gave him a kiss on the cheek and slapped his ass.

* * *

My infinite apologies for abandoning this project, and my profile in general, for these past four (six!) years. I got out of the habit of writing when I moved in high school; got super busy during college; my PS2 broke, so I stopped playing the video games that inspired. Excuses, I know. Forgive me?


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